Lost Girl: Pack tension (JacobOC)
by xxShilaScreamsXX
Summary: Jacob's life is changed for good when a strange She-wolf is found nearby. Most of the pack thinks the new girl is more trouble than she's worth, but Jacob disagrees. He is draw to her like a moth to a flame. But Jacob can't deny that there is something strange about this girl. And Sam's growing bitterness about his position as stand in Alpha doesn't help to ease the tension.
1. Lost Girl

_Jacob._

We sprint through the woods in our wolf forms, hot on the trail of of this odd scent- clearly a wolf, but defiantly not one of ours. Eager to defend our territory against any outsiders, Sam orders us to track the wolf down and either run it off, or destroy it.

"The smell's close by," Paul announces.

_"_The wolf is running!"Quil states.

"After it!"Sam barks in our minds and blazes forward. I follow, wordless, but curious.

"Sam,"I begin. "There aren't any packs anywhere near here that we know of. So how could this be a wolf?"

"We can't take any chances." Sam tells me, dark eyes fixed straight ahead.

Suddenly, the wind shifts and starts to blow towards us, bringing with it the scent of the intruder. We all sprint faster, the scent getting closer and closer with each second.

"It's straight ahead!" Sam barks. "No mercy!" We pounce through the brush, exploding into a clearing, teeth gnashing.

What I see surprises me.

A medium sized wolf slightly bigger than Seth shrinks back against a large oak tree, white fur matted and stained with dirt and blood, its tail between its legs, its nervous looking eyes flit between all of us, and our thoughts explode in each other's heads.

"Different eyes..."

"One green ,one blue..."

"...a female..."

"Intruder..."

"...loner?..."

"Who are you?" Sam bellows at frightened female. Her left eye is blue, her right eye is green. She doesn't reply, just shakes with fear.

"_Who_ are you?" Sam barks once more, advancing on her.

The She-wolf, still shaking, stammers "I-I-" her eyes are wide with fright and trained on Sam.

_"_What pack are you from? Who is your Alpha?"

"Please, don't hurt me," She pleads with a whimper as she backs away, trying to escape, but Quil and Seth block her path. "I don't have a pack! Or an Alpha!" she shrieks.

_"_So you're an exile then." Leah accuses. "A loner."

"No, I've never had a pack! Never!" the She-wolf tells us, her strange eyes flitting between as we circle her.

"This is not your land. This is _our_ territory and you are trespassing." Sam edges towards her. "Trespassers are not tolerated here." he growls in warning, ready to strike.

The female shrinks away from Sam, only to back into Quil, inciting a growl and a nip at her heels. "I didn't know, I swear! I just ran! I ran until I ended up here! I didn't mean to..."

I see her begin to become more and more panicked, her white chest heaving up and down as she hyperventilates.

"Sam..." I warn. "Go easy-"

"Don't lie!" Sam roars at her, making her whimper and shake even more. "You _must_have an Alpha, even if you are an exile!"

_"_I'm not-I'm not..." The female stammers and I see her body shudder hard and she yelps in pain. Slowly, her wolf form falls away to reveal a malnourished, pale, naked body. She's unconscious and curled into a ball. Her body is marked with cuts and bruises. I gasp as I see the many lash marks on her back which have turned into still-healing scars that glint silver in the moonlight.

"She passed out," I mumble.

"What do we do with her now?" Seth asks innocently. "We can't just leave her here."

Sam circles around her pale, frail body, sniffing her matted black hair that's so long, it brushes her thighs. "I've never smelled any wolf like her." Sam admits. "Hell, I've never even seen a pack other than ours. At least not anywhere around here."

"We should question her when she wakes up." I offer. They all just stare at me.

"And what, keep her? Where, Jacob?" Leah spits at me. "We don't know anything about her. She could've been sent here to kill us."

"Are you kidding me?" I retort. "Do you see her? Those bruises and scars? She was scared to death!"

"Yeah," Seth agrees quietly. "She doesn't seem to be a threat to us."

Sam shakes his head. "We can't take that chance."

"Sam, be reasonable!" I plead. "She's defenseless! Obviously, she's hurt and needs help. She said she doesn't have a pack or even an Alpha."

"Impossible!" Sam interjects. "Every wolf has an Alpha and a pack, unless they've been exiled, in which case, we want nothing to do with her. We will kill her now and avoid future conflict." He lowers his great head to the girl's exposed neck, jaws opening to reveal razor sharp teeth poised to pierce her skin and crush her neck, killing her instantly.

I don't know what came over me, but before I can think about it, I've jumped on top of the unconscious She-wolf, shielding her from Sam.

"Out of the way, Jacob." Sam growls at me.

I growl right back, glaring at him. "No. She has done nothing to us. She is innocent. You will not kill her."

A savage snarl rips out from between Sam's bared teeth. "Stand down! This is an order from your Alpha!-"

"I _am_the Alpha!" I shout and get right in his face. I focus hard, pushing all of my will on his until, with another snarl, he breaks eye contact and backs away.

_"_Fine." He concedes. "But if anything goes wrong with her-anything-_I_will deal with her the way I planned." He bounds away, out the way we came, with the others following him.

_"_Sam won't let this go. You'll be punished. I hope you're prepared for that." Leah throws over her shoulder at me. When the others are gone, Seth trots to my side as I hoist the girl up on my back.

_"_What are you gonna do, Jake?" He asks, his big eyes looking at me expectantly.

"I'm gonna help her." I tell him as I walk back the way the others went. "I'll bring her to my dad's and we'll feed her and heal her wounds. I'll find out who she is and where she's from. If she has a pack, I'll send her on her way."

_"_And if she doesn't?" Seth questions innocently.

I sigh heavily. "I don't know." I shake to adjust the girl on my back.

I hope I had made the right choice.

…

I trot back into my front yard just in time to see my dad open the front door and roll out into the yard in his wheelchair. "Jake, who is that?" He motions to the still girl on my back. "Is she alright?"

I lower myself to the ground and revert back to my human form and cradle the girl in my arms, deliberately avoiding looking at her bare, pale breasts.

"The pack found her." I tell him and begin explaining the whole situation to him. "She passed out. Sam wanted to kill her but…" My voice trails off.

My dad sighs. "And you wanted to help her. Alright, Jake, bring her in." He leads me into the house, holding the door open for me. "Lay her on the table. I'll get the first aid kit and see what we can do about her wounds."

I gently lay her limp body on the kitchen table just as dad comes back with a heavy duty first aid kit and rolls up next to the table and scans her body. "Poor thing's been put through the wringer." He observes with a solemn tone. "All these scars and bruises…and she's clearly malnourished. She's so thin." He studies some of the cuts that riddle her body. "These aren't that deep. They're just scrapes." He dabs at the cuts with a wet cloth, brushing her long, tangled black hair out of the way, off-handedly commenting on the length of it.

"I think she's been running for a while." I say quietly, as if not to wake her. "How did she get all these cuts and bruises?"

"I'm not sure. We'll find out when she wakes up. You said she doesn't have a pack? How is that possible?" My dad inquires as he rubs a homemade salve on her injuries, and then bandages them up.

"I don't know. Sam thinks she's lying." I watch my dad work, patching up the small cuts on her face.

Dad shakes his head. "No, I think she's telling the truth. She doesn't seem like the kind of person to lie about something like this. And you have to understand how bitter Sam has been lately."

"Bitter? About what?" I ask.

"You asserting your birth right as the true Alpha of the La Push pack. He feels like you've undermined his authority—which is true; the rest of the pack doesn't have the same respect for him anymore. That pisses him off." Dad explains. "And Sam, being the child that he is, will naturally go against any idea you put forth, even if it is the right and rational thing to do."

I blink at my father, astonished. "You don't really think that, do you dad?"

"Of course I do," He says without hesitation. "Between you and me, Sam can be a bit of an ass." Dad grins at me and I laugh.

"Yeah, yeah he is."

…


	2. Her Name

_Chapter 2_

_Jacob. _

The next morning I wake up to a garbled groan coming from down the hall. I jump up and hurry into the guest bedroom just in time to see the She-wolf stirring in the bed, wearing one of my old T-shirts and a pair of my shorts. I see her eyes flutter and then open completely until they focus my face.

"W-where…? Who..?" She rubs her eyes, her voice groggy with sleep and disorientation. "Where am I?"

"You're in my house," I say. Then, realizing this doesn't explain much: "I'm one of the wolves who found you last night. My name's Jacob. Jacob Black."

Her eyes widen as the memory hits her and I can clearly see all of her thoughts race across her face as her muscles tighten: _"Enemy. Run." _ But she just says in a hushed voice, "You didn't kill me." A statement, not a question."

I give her a lame smile. "No, of course not. Sam, my—Alpha wanted to but I got him to reconsider."

Her eyes narrow in suspicion. "Why?"

"W-why?" I stammer, caught off guard. I wasn't expecting her to question why she was still alive. "Well…because you didn't seem to be a threat and we don't even know who you are. It would be pointless to kill you."

She meets my explanation with a challenge. "And when you _do _know who I am?"

I shrug and try to pretend like this doesn't rattle me. "If you have a pack, we'll send you on your way. Your Alpha wouldn't be very happy about this; you running away and trespassing on another pack's territory, I mean."

Even though I didn't mean this as an insult, she seems to take it as one. "Oh, I'm _trespassing? _If you only knew what I've been though in the past few weeks-!" she cuts herself off and exhales slowly as if to calm herself down. She seems nothing like the shy, vulnerable She-wolf I saw last night. She begins again with a calmer voice. "I don't have a pack. Or an Alpha. And I am not an exile or a loner, whatever those are. I've never even been around other wolves until now." She sighs heavily. "Why can't you people understand that?"

I take in her skinny frame, her dull, tangled hair, and the bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. "Hey, how about some food?" I offer.

Her ears perk up like a puppy's and I swear she's drooling. "Food? Like, _real _food?"

"Yes."

I've never seen anyone jump out of bed so fast.

I walk into the kitchen with her following close behind. I have to stifle a snicker when I hear her sniffing the air, searching for anything edible. Suddenly, she yanks open the pantry door and starts to devour anything and everything she can get her hands on. Before I can stop her, she's eaten everything in the pantry. Crumbs and colorful cardboard boxes litter the floor at her feet. The area around her mouth is dotted with bits of food. She's looking at me with this frenzied look in her odd eyes, which I can't see very well since her overgrown bangs are obscuring half of her face.

She gulps, panting slightly. "Do you have more? More food?"

"How long has it been since you've eaten?"

"Three weeks."

_Jesus. _Wordlessly, I guide her to my room and pull some clothes out from my drawers. When she asks me what I'm doing, I explain that I'm finding her some thicker clothes. "It's cold outside." I elaborate, then hand her an old long sleeved shirt. "Put this on."

She takes the shirt from me and sniffs it, then pulls it on over her head, on top of the shirt she's already wearing. "Where are we going?" She takes the pair of pants I give her (the smallest ones I own that will probably still be too big for her).

"To Sam's. We don't have any more food in the house, but he's got plenty." At the word "food" her stomach growls hungrily.

"Wait, Sam? Your Alpha?" Suspicion creeps back into her eyes and voice. "He's not gonna kill me, is he?"

I shake my head and hands quickly in denial. "No, no, no! He won't hurt you, I swear. He and I have an…agreement. He just wants to ask you some questions." Her body tenses again, preparing for escape. I try to lighten the mood. "Hey," She looks at me and I ask "What's your name?"

She licks her lips in hesitation, but I wait patiently. Finally she says: "Moon. My name is Moon."

"Pretty name. It suits you."

She offers me a grin, and for some reason, my heart skips a beat.


	3. Moon's Story and Jacob's Resolution

_Chapter 3_

_Jacob. _

I walk Moon across the reservation to Sam and Emily's house. Well, "walk" wouldn't be the right word; more like "drag". Moon is convinced Sam will try to kill her and I can't say I blame her. Getting there is especially a hassle since she can't see through her bangs, and she's wearing all of my clothes, including shoes (all of which are _way _too big for her), so every few steps she trips and almost falls flat on her face.

When we finally get to the front door and knock, it's Emily who answers. She grins at us and I see Moon stare at the scars marring the left side of Emily's face. I try to nudge her to tear her eyes away from the scars, but Emily just smiles and ushers us into the house and greets us.

"Hey Jake," She turns to Moon. "And you must be the girl they found last night. What long hair you have," Emily gently brushes the hair out of Moon's face, making Moon jump at the physical contact. "Oh, and those eyes! How beautiful!" Moon gives her a nervous smile before averting her gaze to the floor. "Sam, will be out in a second, so have a seat."

We sit at the kitchen table and Moon's eyes instantly lock on the plate of oversized muffins at the center. They still feel warm. I pick one up and hand it to her. "Here, it's cinnamon. You like cinnamon, don't you?" She snatches it out of my hand and bites off huge chunks and swallows as much of it as she can. Her eyes roll up and she groans in approval, drool peeking out the corner of her mouth.

Emily chuckles. "Well she certainly eats like a wolf. Please, help yourself." Moon obeys without hesitation.

Suddenly, the door swings open and Paul, Embry, Jared, Quil, Leah, and Seth file in. Moon doesn't seem to notice them and keeps devouring muffin after muffin.

"Jacob." Quil says in a stiff greeting. The others just nod. So they're mad at me. Figures. But for what, I have no clue. Probably for once again shaking things up and disobeying Sam. Nevertheless, I still greet them with a "Hey guys,", working to keep my tone friendly and level. They all stare at Moon as she finishes her fifth muffin, gulping and panting loudly.

"Does she ever breathe?" Seth jokes.

Emily sets a glass of milk in front of Moon, who swipes it up with both hands and downs it in seconds. She grabs the last muffin and takes yet another gigantic bite out of it, but stops when she finally looks at the others, just noticing they're there. She swallows loudly and gingerly sets the half eaten muffin on the table and folds her hands neatly in her lap as she licks the crumbs from her mouth.

"Hi." She says hoarsely.

Just then, Sam emerges from somewhere at the back of the house. He doesn't exactly look happy. "Good, you're all here." He half stares, half glares at Moon, who avoids his gaze as she curls into herself. "Everyone take a seat." They all do as they say, assembling around the too small table. Sam turns to me. "Any issues with her?"

"Besides eating me out of house and home, everything's just fine," I chuckle. No one else seems to get the joke.

Ignoring my comment, Sam turns his attention to Moon. "Who are you?" Moon parts her lips slightly as if to reply, but doesn't speak, just gives him that wide-eyed stare. Sam huffs. "Okay, let's start with this: What's your name?"

"Moon." She says after a pause. Everyone seems to arch their eyebrows.

"Pretty ironic name for a wolf," Seth comments with a grin.

"I think it's a nice name. Very pretty." Emily chimes in and Moon blinks at the floor, blushing.

Sam's harsh voice calls us all to attention. "So I'll ask again. What pack do you belong to?"

"She doesn't have one." I tell Sam. He gives me an irritated look and looks back to Moon.

"I don't have a pack. I never have. And I'm not a loner or an exile and I don't have an Alpha." Exasperation creeps into Moon's voice as she tries to prove her innocence for the umpteenth time. "I didn't even know werewolves existed until a few weeks ago."

Sam rolls his eyes. "Fine, fine. Can you at least time me where you're from?"

"Pikesville. It's a small village on the northernmost point of Alaska."

"You came all the way from _Alaska?" _I ask in astonishment. "Why? What made you come all the way here?"

Moon rakes a shaky hand through her tangled black hair. "It's a long story."

"We have time." Sam informs her. "I can't let you stay here unless I know your story. It would be a threat to my pack. And from the looks of it, you don't have anywhere else to go, so you don't have much of a choice."

Moon lets out a sigh and wets her lips. "Where do I start?"

"When did you first find out you were a wolf? When did you first Shift?"

Moon shifts in her seat, and after a wary glance at all of us, begins her story.

"Not long ago. Maybe a month or so. I was helping my mother in the field. As you can imagine, crops are hard to grow where I come from, with the snow and all, so it's a time consuming, labor intensive process—but an important one. My village relies on the food my mother and the other farmers grow. Food is sparse. Understanding, even sparser.

The villagers have always been afraid of my eyes. They think I'm evil; a spawn of Satan. And they never let me forget it. Small places breed small minds. I've never had any friends.

Anyway, so my mother and I were working in the fields. It was really cold that day; one of the coldest of the year, and my hands were numb and shaking, making field work that much harder. I had to pick fragile vegetables and my hands were so unsteady, that I kept dropping them in the deep snow, where they were almost impossible to find again. My mother scolded me heavily and told me my clumsiness would kill us all. But I couldn't help it. It was just so cold. I kept dropping vegetables. My mother swore and struck me. Normally, I would've just dealt with it, but this time I just got so…_angry. _Angrier than I've ever been in my life, like there was this inferno in my belly that just exploded through my whole body.

Before I could stop myself, I grabbed my mother and shook her so hard her teeth rattled. She screamed, begging me to stop, but I couldn't. I threw her to the ground and dug up a huge, jagged rock with strength no human should ever possess, and stood over her with it held over my head, ready to plunge it into her face. My vision went red and everything inside me wanted to kill her. I could hear this other voice—well, I won't call it a voice, more like this _thing_—egging me on, telling me to throw it, to kill my mother. Just as I was about to do it, I heard someone, a farmer, shout "Devil child!" I looked up to see everyone staring at me, all whispering "Devil child, Devil child!" as they clutched the ever present crosses hanging from their necks.

I panicked and dropped the rock inches from my mother's terrified face and ran into the woods as fast as I could. I had no clue where I was going, just that I had to get away. My entire body was itching with this aching, feverish heat that made me want to tear my skin off, which just made me angrier. My entire body started convulsing and this searing pain arched up my pain and dropped me to the ground. I remember feeling my all bones snap and break at once, then shift and reconfigure. It felt like an eternity of never ending agony.

When I opened my eyes, I was this huge wolf. I stumbled around, disorientated, until the villagers found me. They had seen the whole thing. All at once, they attacked, shouting "Monster! Hellhound!" they beat me with sticks and bats, and fire, and pitchforks, and whatever else they could find. They beat me until I reverted to my human form and dragged me into the center of town and strung me up for all to see. They threw rocks at me and jabbed me with knives and swords and whipped me until they couldn't anymore. It went on like that for days. I was tied up with no food or water, being tortured by my neighbors and even my family in the blistering cold. Even my own mother just stood there and watched, no matter how loud I screamed for her.

One night, the ropes somehow gave out and fell away. I ran as far as my human form would take me until I figured out how to Shift again. I ran and ran for three weeks and never looked back, eating only berries since I couldn't figure out how to hunt. And I somehow ended up here."

Moon had been holding herself and looking at the floor the entire time she told her story. When she looked up, her eyes were rimmed red with tears and she saw all of our bewildered faces.

"You poor thing," Emily whispers.

"My God." I breathed and resisted the overwhelming urge to pull her into my arms and hold her. What I wouldn't give to be able to take all of that suffering and sorrow away and make her forget those awful few days.

Sam was silent, like he was trying to digest all of this. He clears his throat. "I'm sorry to hear that happened to you." We all look at him in surprise, even Moon, who snaps her head up to look at him.

"Thank you," she says gratefully.

Sam looks around and I swear I can see the slightest hint of tears in his eyes. "Well you'll need somewhere to stay. Emily and I don't have a spare room so you can stay with Jake. I am sorry for any trouble I have given you." He gets up and leaves the room.

Emily goes to follow him, and then turns to Moon. "Come over tomorrow and we'll go shopping for some clothes and shoes." She smiles warmly and swipes the bangs out of moon's eyes. "And we'll do something about that hair." Emily then leaves to go to Sam.

The others look around awkwardly. "Well," Jared finally speaks. "Welcome to La Push." The others take their turns welcoming her before making their way out of the house until Moon and I are the only ones left in the room. She looks at me as if to say "What now?" I offer her a smile and cup her hand with mine. She sucks in a sharp breath and widens her eyes even more. God, all I want to do is see her smile. I promise myself that no matter what, I will do whatever I can to make this girl, this poor, confused, frightened girl, from ever experiencing the pain and heartache she's been put through ever again.

I will make Moon smile.


	4. Emily's Announcement

_Chapter 4_

_Jacob. _

The next day, I tromp into the house, carrying more groceries than I can count that came with a receipt longer than the entire length of my kitchen. Dad won't like how much money I spent. I make a mental note to dispose of it as soon as I can. I'm just starting to put things away when the phone lets out a series of shrill rings. I answer it quickly so it doesn't wake up Moon or my dad.

"Hello?"

"Hey Jake, it's Emily,"

"Oh hey." I creep into the hallway and listen for any movement coming from the rooms. Nothing. Good, everyone's still asleep. "What's up?"

"I was just going to ask if you could bring Moon over today. I wanted to take her into town and buy her some new clothes and things like that, since she has none." Emily tells me.

"Yeah? Okay that's really nice of you. What time should I bring her over?" I work to keep the overt relief out of my voice. If Emily buys Moon clothes, that means I won't have to. Truthfully, I know little to nothing about women's clothes or sizes, and I doubt Moon does either. This saves me a ton of embarrassment.

"Just bring her over as soon as you can." She says lightly. Suddenly, her tone turns grave and heavy. "And Jacob, Sam has called a meeting. Attendance is mandatory, especially yours."

I feel my fist clench in anger, but am somehow able to keep it from dripping into my voice. "Where and when?"

"The town library at noon. Don't be late."

I glance at the clock over the stove. It reads _11:34. _So it's soon. "Alright, I'll be over soon." After hanging up, I go to wake up Moon. This meeting should be interesting.

…

I get out of the truck and open the passenger side door for Moon, who's a nervous wreck. When we reach Emily's porch, I look down to see Moon giving me this pleading look that utterly breaks my heart.

"Don't worry." I tell her and give her a reassuring smile. "Emily'll take good care of you. You'll have fun." Moon's eyes flit back and forth between me and the door. Once again, her body readies itself to flee. "Hey," I get her attention and pull her into a hug, squeezing her gently to somewhat abate her terror. She goes rigid and I hear her catch her breath. After a moment, she squeezes back. It's awkward, but it's a start.

I pull away and see her giving me a strange look through her tangled bangs. Hopefully Emily will do something about her hair. I knock on the door and tell her I'll pick her up later. Emily opens the door and beams at us.

"Hey guys! I'm glad you came, Moon." Moon gives her a nervous smile and steps through the threshold of the door. "I'll call for you to pick her up once we're done." Emily tells me.

"Yeah okay. Thanks Emily." As she closes the door, I catch a glimpse of Moon on the other side. She's hugging herself vulnerably and looking at me with those strangely colored, pleading eyes. Then the door closes between us, cutting us off from one another. I can't help but feel a twinge of worry and an ache at the center of my gut, like a piece of me has been scooped out. I find myself lingering on the porch, tensely listening for Moon's voice, listening for anything that might mean she needs me.

What am I doing? What, is Emily going to kill her or something? That's stupid, of course she'd never do that; Emily is too kind and caring. I force myself to shake it off and walk back to the truck. I sigh heavily as I begin to make my way towards the reservation's library.


	5. Beautiful?

_Chapter 5_

_Moon. _

I look after Jacob, even after the door closes. I swear I can feel him right behind that door, waiting, listening. Part of me yearns to call after him, but I convince myself I'm just being paranoid. I'm not sure that I can trust anyone here but him. Everyone seems so hostile. Except this Emily woman. But I can't help but wonder why she wants to help me so much. Why is she being so nice when she barely knows me? And it seems that she's closely affiliated with Jacob's Alpha, his mate maybe. This makes her unworthy of my trust, but she's no wolf. I can smell the human on her. So what is she and of what use is she to Sam? And those scars on the left side of her face…I can't imagine what or who could've done that. Regardless of her kindness, being in the house of Jacob's Alpha puts me way on edge. I hope he's not here. God, I hope he's not here.

"Have a seat," Emily's voice breaks me away from my thoughts. "Are you hungry?'

"Oh, no." I lie as I sit at the table. My grumbling stomach betrays me. With a smile, Emily places an already made sandwich in front of me. I sink my teeth into it over and over again until it's gone. God, food tastes so good after three weeks of starvation.

"You look better today," Emily chirps. Upon my clueless look, she elaborates. "You're very thin, too thin than could possibly be healthy for a girl your age. But you look fuller today. And your scars and bruises should heal soon as long as you keep your strength up. Wolves heal fast. And it looks like you got a good night's sleep last night."

I slept like a rock, I want to tell her, but don't. I never want to feel the way I felt before I came here ever again. I struggle to look at Emily through my wild bangs. These things were getting really annoying, along with the rest of my hair. It's just one big tangled knot. To my surprise, Emily reaches over and picks through my hair.

"Your hair is so long." She says. "How did it get so long?"

I hesitate. "I've never really cut it, just a trim every now and then. It grows fast."

"Would you mind me washing it for you and trimming it a bit?" Emily asks gently.

_Please! _My mind begs. But all I say is "If you don't mind, that would be nice." Manners, manners, manners, Mother would always say. No one likes a girl with no manners. She leads me over to the sink and sits me on a chair that's up against it. She runs the water and loads my heavy mass of hair into the sink, instructing me to lean my head back. She massages a sweet smelling shampoo into my knotted hair, and after a few minutes, miraculously, I feel the knots begin to relax and fall away. The feeling is so glorious, I hear myself sigh with relief.

As she continues, I find myself lapsing into a childhood memory. My Mother is washing my hair for me, which was long even back then. She has me leaning into the sink much like the way Emily is now. My Mother is softly humming a hymn I've heard in Bible school since I was a baby. It's a chilly, but sunny Alaskan summer day and the sun is filtering in through the curtains and I can hear my father in the other room, whittling me another wooden pony, my favorite animal.

"Moon, darling," My Mother calls my attention the way she always did back then, when she was happy. Before the darkness enveloped her soul and threw her into an abyss of perpetual woe.

"Yes, Mother?" I answer.

"Have I told you that I love you today?"

"No, Mother."

"Well I love you."

"I love you too, Mother."

Suddenly, I'm aware of Emily speaking, telling me something. I hope she didn't notice me not paying attention. "I'm sorry?" I pretend that I couldn't hear her over the running water.

She repeats politely. "I said we'll have to get you plenty of clothes today."

My face twists in question. "Why?" I ask quietly.

She giggles and I instantly feel stupid. "Because you'll be staying here awhile, as long as you want, actually."

I can't help but lift my face up in disbelief. "Really?" I breathe. "But…but why?"

"Sam seems like a burly jerk, but he can be quite empathetic. He knows you need help and he couldn't possibly turn you away. He hasn't told me this, but I know him. He'll let you stay."

I feel my heart lift and jump into my throat and I'm suddenly fighting back tears. I could stay? I could stay here and have food and clothes and maybe even freedom? I could stay here with Jacob and—I shake that last part from my thoughts. Jacob could never like a freak like me. My eyes are…unsettling to say the least. And I'm not even pretty. Even in my small village, I was never looked at twice unless the stares were accompanied by "Devil child" or "Abomination". Jacob could never want me.

"Thank you." I say, nevertheless.

Emily smiles at me. "You can thank Sam when we get back."

I tell myself I will. But staying here…does that mean Sam will allow me into his pack? Did I even want that? The wolf in me cries out "yes!". Well it's not like I have anything to lose. But what if he doesn't let me join the pack? Well I guess that'd be okay too. At least I'd have shelter and food.

Emily shuts off the water and wraps my head in a fluffy towel, telling me she'll be right back and to dry my hair off a bit. She leaves the room and I ruffle my hair with the towel then hang it on the back of a chair, letting my hair fall down to my thighs. I run my fingers through (all the way _through!_) my now silky hair. My entire skull feels lighter. My hair smells like vanilla and strawberries.

Emily walks back into the room with a pair of hair clippers. "Let's just trim your ends and your bangs." I nod and stand still as she kneels down and begins clipping away at my ends, then she comes back up and trims my side-sweeping bangs. When she's done, my hair is brushing my waist. Emily stands back and admires her work with a huge grin on her face.

"Beautiful. Most women would kill for your hair." She tells me. I blush violently and avert my eyes to the floor. "Unless you'd like to blow dry your hair, I'll go get you some of my clothes for you to wear. Hopefully those will fit you better." I tell her no to the blow dryer. She leads me to her bedroom, which smells so much like Sam, it nearly knocks me to the floor, and hands me some of her clothes to change into. They fit _way _better than Jacob's. Then, she takes me to her Jeep and drives me into town.


	6. The Meeting

_Chapter 6_

_Jacob. _

By the time I arrive at the meeting room inside of the reservation's small library (which no one around here seems to use anyway), everyone is already there sitting at a circular table at the center of the room between two bookshelves up against the wall. If circles had points, Sam would be sitting at the head. I sit opposite of him.

"So what's going on?" I ask. That's me: right to the point.

Sam looks at me evenly. "It's about Moon." He glances around at all of us before saying "I'm letting her stay."

"But are you letting her join the pack?" Embry asks the question that's rigging in all of our minds. I cross my arms over my chest, highly doubting he'd allow her to join us, just to spite me and to show me that _he _was the one in charge here. And besides, Sam isn't that type of Alpha. Letting an outsider join our ranks would be a show of weakness, or some crap like that.

We all wait for Sam's verdict, Paul tapping his foot. Sam looks like he's trying to swallow his tongue. Finally after what seems like minutes, he finally says:

"I want to put it to a vote."

Everyone's jaws drop incredulously.

"You want to _what_?" Leah questions in disbelief.

Alpha seems to be turning a bit red. "I want your opinions." He elaborates.

"Why?" I can't help but ask. I chuckle inwardly, remembering Moon asking me the same thing that first morning after we found her.

Sam takes a long, deep breath like he's trying to calm himself down. "Because letting anyone, let alone an outside from some village in Alaska now one's ever heard of be a part of our pack is a big decision." I don't want to make the wrong one."

Oh, so what happened to that whole "Alpha can do no wrong" attitude he's been asserting? I have to force the catty response from passing my lips.

"So this is all of a sudden a democracy." Jared states, more than questions.

"Yes!" Sam shouts in frustration. "Is it so wrong for me to care about what you all think?" We glance around at each other. No, but it sure was out of the ordinary. "So who wants her to join us? Raise your hands."

I raise my hand without hesitation and look around at the others. Seth and Paul raise their hands silently.

"Why do you want her in the pack, Paul?" asks Sam.

Paul shrugs nonchalantly. "She doesn't seem like much of a threat. I don't see a reason why we shouldn't."

"How about because we know nothing about her?" Leah retorts in a harsh tone. "We can't risk it."

"Oh, of _course _Leah's against another female joining the pack." Paul rolls his eyes. "What's wrong Leah, afraid the new girl will steal all of the little attention Sam's been giving to you since he met Emily?"

Leah jumps out of her seat, sending her chair flying backwards. "What'd you say?" She snarls.

"Hey!" Sam barks authoritatively as he too stands up. "Sit down and calm yourselves!" After a moment of glaring at one another, they both sit. Paul crosses his arms over his chest in a show of indifferent calmness as Leah picks up her chair and sits back in it, seething from the stinging insult Paul had thrown her way. Sam turns to Seth. "Why do you want her with us?"

Seth looks around at the others before turning to me. "I think she's cool," He says earnestly.

Sam curtly addresses me. "Jacob?"

I take a deep breath to steady myself. "I think she needs help, and like Paul said, she presents no threat to us. She Shifted for the first time barely a month ago; she's new. Besides, if we just kick her out, where will she go? A new, inexperienced wolf running around unsupervised is a danger not only to the pack and our secret, but to humans as well. She could die or accidently hurt someone. She needs training. And a place to stay. And _friends." _I shift my stare from each one of them, one at a time. "We need to let her stay and be a part of our pack."

I expect Sam to dismiss me like he did Seth, but all he says is "Alright. And those against?"

Leah, Embry, and Quil raise their hands.

"Why?" Sam asks.

"Same reason as Leah." Embry says. "It's too risky."

"Way too risky." Quil agrees and then looks to me apologetically. "Sorry Jake,"

We all turn to Jared, who didn't vote.

"I honestly don't care either way. If she stays and joins the pack, that's cool; we've got a new wolf. If she goes, that's cool too. No harm done to us." Jared tells us.

I let out an exasperated sigh. "That's three against three." I level a stare at Sam. "That means you've got to be the tie breaker, Alpha." I allow the slightest hint of venom drip into my voice in that last part.

Sam rubs his temples with his thumbs, furrowing his brow. We all wait in suspense.

"She can join." He states to my astonishment. "But only because we need a change in pace. Some new blood. And Jake's right." This catches me way off guard. "It's the right thing to do." Sam stands and starts towards the exist. "You're all dismissed."

Leah once again ejects herself from her chair and half runs towards Sam. "You're kidding! Sam!" But Sam ignores her and disappears behind the door. "You'll regret this! It's a terrible decision!" She shouts at the door.

We all file out, passing by her to get to the door. I stop next to her and say quietly: "The Alpha's word is final Leah. Better get used to it." I make my way out, feeling triumph fill my chest, and leave her there as she boils and mutters bitterly.

"You'll regret this. You all will." She hisses.


	7. Breathtaking

_Chapter 7_

_Jacob. _

The sun is burning vermillion as it lazily dips below the horizon when I pick Moon up from Sam's and Emily's place. As usual, the door is unlocked, so I knock twice and walk in. The kitchen is empty and I hear Emily call from the living room. "We're in here, Jake!"

I follow her voice around a corner and see Sam and Emily sitting on separate couches around the small coffee table. Sam is watching the TV with a slightly worn, detached expression on his face and doesn't look up when I enter the living room. Moon is sitting somewhat stiffly next to Emily with her hands folded neatly in her lap. Her hair covers one side of her face, and I can tell that's it's been washed, as it falls in shiny waves down her back but it's slightly shorter than it used to be.

"Hey, Moon. Did you have fun…" Just then, Moon lifts her face to look at me and I forget how to speak coherent English.

This is the first time I've been able to see her face without her bangs getting in the way. She is beautiful. Absolutely, breath-takingly beautiful. Her green and blue eyes shine and glisten in the low light of the room, giving her a doe-eyed look that pierces through my very soul. Her huge eyes are framed with lush black eyelashes that bat when she blinks. Her pale cheeks flush pink as she sees me studying her, and her full, pouting, almost rosy tinted lips are parted slightly. If you could imagine what a Cherub would look like as a teenager, she would be it.

"Wow," I breathe, which causes her to redden and look away from me. "You look great."

"Thank you," She squeaks.

Emily beams at my reaction. "That's not the best part!" Her voice holds an excited thrill when she announces this. "Stand up, Moon."

With slight hesitation, Moon lifts herself to her feet and stands awkwardly. She's wearing a brown leather jacket over a green logo T-shirt that matches one of her eyes. The dark blue of her jeans compliments her shirt as well as her light brown boots.

"Doesn't she look amazing?" Emily gushes at her handiwork. Sam nods in agreement and Moon fiddles with the zipper of her jacket and avoids eye contact with me.

"You look great." I tell her again, genuinely meaning it. She looks up at me and gives me a sheepish smile. I look to Emily and thank her for taking care of Moon as she hands me a bunch of bags of all different colors and designs. The bags are heavy and I struggle to carry all of them to my truck outside. Sam and Emily walk us to the truck to help me load all of the merchandise in my backseat. Moon hops into the passenger seat and waits patiently while Emily gives her some final instructions on her outfits and hair, which Moon nods to politely.

Just when I'm about to get in the truck, Sam calls out to me. "Jacob, our deal is still in effect; if there are any problems with her, I will handle her the way I had originally planned. Remember that." I nod stiffly and he adds "Her training begins tomorrow. I'll contact you with the time and location." Again, I nod as I turn and head for the truck.

My dad meets us at the door when Moon and I arrive at my house. "Emily really did a great job!" He tells Moon, almost as shocked at I was.

"Yes," Moon agrees. "She's very generous."

"That she is. Jake, remember to show her to her bedroom." Dad instructs me as he rolls back into the house.

I lead Moon to our guest bedroom down the hall from the others. The room is dark and somewhat small with a full sized bed taking up most of the space under a large window. There's a large wooden dresser with a round vanity mirror facing the bed that matches the wardrobe on one side of the bed and the nightstand that's situated on the other with a small lamp.

I place her things on her bed before turning to her. "This is your room. We don't use it much so, uh…" My voice trails off. Moon plays with a long strand of her hair as she looks about the room, standing in the doorway.

"Come on in," I usher her in and she walks around the bed, trailing a finger along the dresser before delicately sitting down on the side of the bed next to her bags and looks up at me with her shiny dual colored eyes.

"Thank you." Her voice is full of sincerity. "You have no idea how much this means to me. I'll try my best not to be a burden. I'll carry my own weight."

This is the longest sentence I've ever heard her say without being prompted. Her voice has this wind chime-like pitch; innocent and beautifully charming. She makes it impossible for my lips not to curl up into a smile and my heart to start racing.

"No problem," I tell her and almost sigh with delight when she rewards me with a grin. There's a kind of allure about her strange eyes, the way they glint in the light and how they seem to bore into your soul filling you with this warm glow. She must catch me gazing at her because she suddenly trains her eyes on her hands, which are folded in her lap. I clear my throat.

"So, uh, did Sam tell you the good news?" I ask in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Moon's lips turn upward in a sheepish grin. "Yes. He's letting me stay here."

"And he's letting you join the pack."

She nods and tries to hide the relieved smile that's on her face. "Yeah, that's great. That's really great."

I feel my heart swell with happiness when I see how grateful and joyful she looks. "It is. Get some sleep. You have a busy day tomorrow. Sam wants to start your training."

"Alright. Goodnight, Jacob."

I gently close the door behind me, hoping to God Sam goes easy on her.


	8. Training and Defiance

_Chapter 8_

_Jacob. _

The next morning, I wake up to the sounds of dishes clanking and water running. When I go into the kitchen, I see Moon busily washing dishes and putting them away. She smiles at me when I enter. I can't help but notice how…healthy she looks. Her frame is full and well-looking and her cheeks and eyes are no longer sunken in from lack of nourishment, and her skin emits a healthy glow.

"Morning. I hope you slept well." Her voice chimes musically.

"I did. Why are you up so early?" I question as I sit down at the table and wince as I remember her cold, almost lifeless body lying there only days before.

Moon sets a freshly washed glass of milk in front of me. "I told you I was going to pull my own weight around here, didn't I?"

Just then, I look around at the now spotless kitchen, hardly recognizing the place, and nod. "You did," She seems oddly perky this morning. But I guess finding out that you actually had a place to stay after barely surviving in the woods for three weeks will do that to you. I'm feeling kind of happy myself, to be honest, until I remember Sam's order: _"Her training begins tomorrow." _ What training? The other wolves and I never got any special training, so why does Moon have to? Anger festers in my gut. I swear if Sam hurts her—

"Jacob?" Moon's voice laced with worry snaps me out of my thoughts. "You okay?"

I try my best to shake it off. "Yeah. We just have to go meet Sam and the others soon." I'm not sure how I know, but I do. Probably the whole pack telepathy thing.

"For my training?" Moon inquires. I nod and she begins pacing lightly in front of the table. "What…_kind _of training?"

"Oh, nothing too bad." I lie. "Probably just basic things."

She nods warily and I can tell she's not buying it. We get dressed and head for the woods.

We arrive in a secluded clearing in the middle of the woods where the rest of the pack is scattered around the open space, waiting for us. I see Sam standing near the entrance of the clearing with a gruff expression on his face. Moon tenses next to me, but with my nudge of reassurance, walks into the meadow with Sam close behind.

"Welcome, Moon. I hope the walk here wasn't too tiring." Sam greets Moon in an oddly conversational tone, then nods at me. I don't like this already and I can tell Moon doesn't either. She tells him the walk was fine and thanks him for the opportunity.

Sam gets straight to business. "Everyone out of the way! You too, Jacob!" He commands when he sees that I'm not moving. Moon gives me a panicked look and I squeeze her arm to assure her.

"You'll be fine," I say and stand at the edge of the trees with the others. She looks after me helplessly until Sam barks her name, making her jump before turning to him.

"Come with me." He orders and walks towards the middle of the meadow. Moon follows awkwardly and stands a few feet away from him. I can tell she's trying her best to look brave, but it's obvious how nervous she is by the way she folds her arms around her abdomen, like she's trying to hold herself together.

"So," Sam starts loud enough for all of us to hear as he crosses his arms over his broad chest. "You'd like to join my pack?"

Moon nods earnestly. "Oh, yes, very much so."

"Well before I accept you into my pack, I have to be sure you're up for it. I can have any weak links. It's a threat to every wolf in the pack." Sam says. I _really _don't like where this is going.

"Of course," Moon agrees honestly. "I understand, sir. I'll do whatever it takes."

At this, Sam smirks, and simply says. "Shift."

Moon glances around at the others, who offer her no help. She looks back to Sam. "Shift?"

"Yes, right now."

I see Moon's face flush crimson. "But my clothes…"

"That shouldn't matter." Sam interjects harshly. "If you're worried about ripping your clothes, take them off." When Moon hesitates, he gets testy. "As a member of this pack, you will hear your pack mates' every thought. You will feel what they feel, see what they see, and know what they know. There will be no such thing as privacy. Being naked should not bother you. Now do want to be a part of this pack or _not_?"

"I do!" Moon sputters. "I do…" She looks down at her clothes, all of which Emily went out of her way to get for her.

I feel an uneasy feeling settle in my gut. Sam's right; being in a pack means giving up any and all forms of privacy you have. All of your thoughts and feelings are completely open for the others to hear. And, yeah, we were constantly stripping down naked in front of each other unless you wanted to keep buying new clothes every time you Shift, and that can get pretty expensive pretty fast. But, still, something about this doesn't seem right…

Moon tugs at the hem of her shirt before uncomfortably pulling it off along with everything else. Sam doesn't bat an eye, keeping his harsh stare fixed on Moon's humiliated face, but I hear Embry make a low whistle as Quil, Jared, and Paul stare, snickering a bit at Embry's response. Seth lowers his eyes in embarrassment as Leah glares at Moon, who's holding herself even tighter than she already was. I try not to stare, but I notice the scars that marked her back have now healed and disappeared.

"Now Shift." Sam commands.

Moon hunches over and squeezes her eyes shut as she wills the change on. The transformation is painfully slow. I can see and hear every sinew twitch and snap, every bone pop and reshape themselves, every muscle as it ripples and shudders. What should happen in a blink of an eye seems to carry on for what seems like forever.

Moon, now in her snowy white wolf form, grunts in pain and then looks to Sam.

"Not fast enough." Sam states coldly. "Revert back to your human form." Moon blinks in confusion before reverting back to her human form almost slower than before. She halfway drops to her knees, eyes shut tight against the pain.

"Your transformations are terribly slow." Sam criticizes. "Do it again. Faster this time." Moon stands up with some effort and Shifts again, just as slow as the last time. Her wolf crouches and lets out a groan of pain.

I know how much she must be hurting. The Shift is terribly painful, especially the first time. Your organs shift and enlarge, your rib cage and other bones break and reposition themselves, your skin explodes with fiery heat like someone just doused you in gasoline and threw a lighter at you. Eventually you learn to deal with it and ignore it, but the first few times are absolute hell. The best way to deal with it is to Shift as fast as you can so you don't prolong the agony.

Sam doesn't carry the same empathy. "Still too slow. Revert." Moon reverts back with little to no improvement and wraps her arms around herself, letting out a sharp gasp. Her name escapes my lips in a worried whisper.

"Shift! Fast!" Sam barks. With a few pants, Moon tries again. "Too slow! Revert!" Again, Moon shrinks back to her human form, shaking, and panting. Sam orders her to Shift once more, and then revert when he isn't satisfied with her progress. He does this over and over until Moon's human body shudders and collapses to his feet, wheezing and whimpering.

"Shift!" Shouts Sam, but Moon just lays on the ground, shuddering. "I said _Shift!_" But she can't. Her body can't take it. "Get on your feet and Shift! Do you want to be here or don't you? Shift _now!_" Moon staggers to her feet as blood dribbles out the corner of her mouth, but her Shift is cut short by the ragged shriek that rips from her lungs. I catch a strange look cross Sam's face at the same time. He glances over to me just long enough for a harsh realization to punch me in my gut. Leah's words echo in my head.

_"Sam won't let this go. You'll be punished." _

This was it. This was my punishment for challenging Sam's direct order. Since he couldn't punish me, the true Alpha, without calling a Death Match, he would punish me through Moon. He would torture her and humiliate her until she gave up, or until her body gave out.

I feel my lips curl over my teeth in a feral snarl as I leap from my place at the edge of the trees. "Sam! Sam, stop! You'll kill her!"

Sam's face contorts into a look a rage at my continued insurrection. "She wants to be part of this pack! If she can't handle a few Shifting exercises, than she does not deserve to be here!"

I start towards Sam, feeling my wolf claw itself to the surface and rumble. "We made a deal, Sam! You said—"

"I said _nothing_!" Sam roars right in my face. "I said nothing about training her! She will train until I say she can stop!"

"That isn't fair! That isn't right and you know it!" I roar right back. I can feel fire rip through my veins as my body prepares itself for a Shift. Every single part of me wants to tear Sam to shreds and make him suffer like Moon. I'm about to let go, to fight him, when Moon suddenly shouts.

"Jake, stop!"

I whirl around to see Moon staggering to her feet, wiping the blood from her mouth.

"But Moon—"

"I said _stop._" The finality and authority in her voice surprises me and scares me just a little. Though her body is broken and torn, her eyes are strong and blaze with determination and fury. "I said I'd do anything to join the pack and I will. I will carry my own weight." Her eyes shift to Sam as she levels a glare at him. "Keep going."

Sam is obviously just as surprised as I am, as his mouth is slightly ajar. But he goes back to her after glancing back at me. After a pause, he barks "Shift!" and later "Revert!" Moon obeys without question. It goes on like that for hours, even though she has obviously mastered Shifting now. I watch in horror, feeling my heart being torn out with each of her transformations.


	9. The Aftermath

_Chapter 9_

_Moon._

My body screams in pain as it's thrown back and forth between forms with increasing speed. My mind is in absolute shambles. My vision is wavering and soon I can't even make out the blades of grass beneath me or the forest around me; it all turns in to one big blur of motion and color. My entire world is nothing but a swirling mass of disorienting colors and shapes—except Sam. Sam, who remains clear as day with his feet firmly planted to the ground and his arms crossed over his broad chest with an expression of half exasperation, half irritation fixed upon is his face like it's etched in stone.

Just when I think I can't do it anymore, just when I think Sam has broken me, I'm reminded of why I'm doing this in the first place: Jacob. Jacob, with his sweet, caring gaze and his strong convictions of what's right and what's wrong. I think of that first day when he took me to Sam's place and held me close as we waited for Emily to answer the door. I remember the way his heart seemed to flutter against my cheek as he held me to his chest. That overwhelming feeling nearly brought tears to my eyes. The ground fell away and I was left dangling from his arms, half gasping for air. I held onto him like he was a tree firmly rooted to the ground and I was trapped in a whirlwind.

Every time I Shift or revert, I bring all those emotions back to the forefront of my mind and I am able to go on. I will not fail. I will not leave this place. I will not leave Jacob Black.

I feel my body fall to its knees, gasping for air and begging for all the pain to go away. I look at what I guess is the ground and see only darkness. I think I've gone blind, but realize that it's not my vision that has darkened, but the sky. There are tiny pinpoints of light twinkling all above me. How long have I been out here? I started early this morning, didn't I? Is it possible that I've been at this all day?

I want to lift my head and look to Jacob, look to Sam, look to _anyone _to prove to myself that I haven't gone crazy. I hear what I know is Jacob's voice. He's screaming my name, but he sounds far away. I want to stand up and go to him, bury myself in his protective arms, but I don't have the strength. I barely have the strength to blink, to breathe.

"Sam, please let her go," Jacob pleads to Sam. His voice sounds ragged and raw. "Please Sam, she's just as fast as the rest of us now. She's been at this all day. Please just let her go."

Sam doesn't speak for a moment though I feel his eyes burn holes in my skull. Please, please just let me go.

"Fine." Sam says at last and I collapse gratefully to the ground, every part of my body screaming in retort against the sudden movement. "The Welcoming Ceremony will be scheduled. I'll contact you with the time and place." I hear the sound of grass crunching under boots grow gradually quieter and quieter until it's gone. Then I hear rushed footsteps hurry towards me and Jacob is at my side.

"Moon! Moon, are you alright?" He gingerly slides a hand under me in an attempt to lift me up, but I abruptly push him away.

"I'm fine." I lie. My voice sounds like a low growl. Jacob looks surprised, almost hurt. With more effort than I thought I was capable of at the moment, I push myself to my feet and start towards Jacob's truck once I'm steady. The others crowd around Jacob, whispering "How can she even walk?" or "How is she even still alive?"

The walk to the truck feels like eternity, but I manage to throw myself into a passenger seat. I refuse help from anyone. I refuse to give them a reason not to accept me. I must be strong.

Jacob gets in the truck with my clothes in his hands. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Just drive."

He does as I say, and I spend the rest of the ride holding my shattered body together, forcing back tears. I don't even accept help getting out of the truck or into the house, filing past an astonished Billy and into the shower, where the water sears my already burning flesh, no matter what the temperature is. But I stay in there until I hear Jacob's worried voice drift in from the hall.

"She's been in there too long." He's saying to Billy. "What if she passed out?" To sedate his worries, I turn off the water and stand there for a moment, hearing him rush to the door.

It isn't until I am dressed in my pajamas and sunken in to the warmth of my bed sheets that I let him wrap me in his arms and coddle me, console me. His arms are a welcomed reward after today's beating.

"I'm sorry." He says over and over again. "I'm so sorry."

But my concentration is wavering and soon I don't hear anything he's saying. But he keeps talking, for how long, I can't be sure. He presses his lips to the top of my wet hair and murmurs something unintelligible. My instincts say it's important, but I'm being swept away by the undercurrent of sleep and into a dizzy dreamland where wolves can talk, stars blink to the rhythm of a heartbeat I'm not sure is mine, and Jacob Black might actually love me.


	10. Realizations

_Chapter 10_

_Jacob. _

"I love you,"

The second the words leave my lips, I can't believe I've said them. I feel my heartbeat quicken and I hold my breath as I wait for Moon to reply.

But she doesn't.

I start to panic. I want to tell her I didn't mean it, that it was a mistake. Crap, she probably thinks I'm a freak.

"Moon, I—I didn't—I…" I try to back pedal but stop when I hear her slow, even breathing. Her body is still. I turn her so I can see her face. Her eyes are closed and her lips are parted slightly. I sigh out of relief as I realize she's asleep. I guess I'd be tired too if I was just put through the wringer in one of the worst possible ways. I think back to the way Sam smirked at me while Moon was subjected to self-inflicted torture.

My blood instantly begins to boil. How dare he take his anger out on an innocent girl instead of settling it with me face-to-face. Was he scared? Was he afraid that if he did challenge me to a Death Match, I might actually win? That coward! What kind of Alpha does that? A weak one, that's what. He's not even the Alpha; _I _am. I could be a great Alpha, I _know _I could be. But…I'm not ready for that. I'm not ready for that kind of responsibility. I'm only seventeen for God's sake!

I know that sounds like a lame excuse any teenager would make against any position that required any amount of responsibility, but this isn't some part-time summer job we're talking about here—it's Alpha responsibility! As Alpha, the safety and well-being of my whole pack, maybe even my whole community, and maybe even the entire town of Forks would ride on my shoulders and I'm not ready for that. If you said I was lacking faith in myself, you wouldn't be far from the truth.

The worst part, the almost dangerous part is that Sam knows all of this. He knows how intimidated I am by the role of Alpha. Any debate or disagreement we have is settled by the whole "I'm Alpha, you're not" thing. I guess I can't blame anyone but myself. I wouldn't have any issues if I would just suck it up and take my rightful place as Alpha.

As I look at Moon while she sleeps soundly, the bruises and scratches on her face beginning to slowly heal themselves, an overwhelming feeling of anger, of territorial selfishness churns in my gut. As far as my wolf is concerned, for some reason, Moon is Mine. She is Mine to protect and defend and anyone who hurts her will pay.

_Woah. _The realization throws me back. My wolf wants Moon, has already claimed her as my own. How did this happen without me noticing? How could I not have noticed this huge, territorial connection form between us? And how did this happen in the course of a few days? This can't be right. Am I mistaking my concern for love? I'd be worried about anyone in Moon's situation; that's just the way I am. There's no way my wolf is in love with Moon.

But as I look down at her and brush my fingers against her pale cheek, she whimpers slightly and nuzzles into the touch; I feel the wolf inside of me growl _"Mine". _Every fiber of my beast wants to protect this girl, to never let anyone ever hurt her again.

So it's true. My wolf has Marked Moon as my own. But have my human heart and mind done the same?


	11. Nerves

_Chapter 11_

_Moon. _

My body is screaming in pure agony when I wake up the next morning. Sitting up is nearly an impossible task, but when I finally manage to do it, my head is spinning. I thought wolves were supposed to heal quicker than humans. So why do I feel this terrible?

When I regain the ability to think straight, my dream from last night floods back to me. I remember running through the forest with Jacob, our huge, powerful wolf bodies dodge trees and underbrush easily, though we're running so fast everything around us is blurred. When we finally stop, it's in a moonlit meadow. Stars twinkle and thrum to what sound like soft drums. Suddenly we're in our human forms, spinning around and laughing merrily. His brown eyes gaze into mine as he stops me, putting his hands on my arms. They drift up and cup my face to bring it up to his and he fixes his lips to mine. His lips are sweet and soft, though the kiss itself is charged with energy and longing. When he finally releases me, he holds me and smiles.

"I love you." He says.

A crimson blush blooms across my face. The dream was so _real_. Even now, I can still feel his lips against mine, a ghost of our kiss. I can hear his carefree laughter ringing in my ears, as well as his declaration of love.

I physically shake myself. There is no way Jacob could ever have feelings for me. He is _way _out of my league. But then I remember last night. I remember the way he cradled me in his arms and how he kissed my damp hair as he apologized endlessly (for what, I'm still not sure). That had to mean something, right? No, no of course it didn't. That was just him being worried about me.

I sigh and look at my reflection in the mirror in front of my bed. I see my hair: black and messy, but in a cute way. My big, blue and green eyes are innocent and glittery in the light and are framed by full, fluffy black eyelashes. My lips are at least kind of plump and smooth, slightly reddish pink. So…I'm cute, right? I at least have that going for me. Maybe with some makeup…

Just then, I hear someone gently tap on my door. "Come in," I call, almost sputtering. Jacob slowly opens the door and pokes his head inside to give me a smile before coming in. His presence instantly lights up the room and I'm jello.

"Good, you're up," He says before coming to sit down next to me on the bed. He studies my face. "You're flushed. Do you have a fever? Did you sleep okay?" I nearly squeal in terror and delight when he cups my face in his hands, just like he did in my dream, and pulls me closer to him and runs his thumbs over my cheeks as he studies me intensely.

"Uh—I—I'm fine." I stammer like an idiot. Words are hard to form when I'm this close to him. "I slept fine." I'm suddenly extremely worried about my morning breath. Oh, God, please don't let it be bad. I try to twist my head away from him, but his grip is like iron, and to my dismay, he brings me even closer to him. I feel him run his fingers over my arms, my back, inspecting me for injuries as goose bumps rise up all over my skin.

"Are you cut anywhere? Does anything hurt?" He asks. "It looks like you're healing well."

Again, words escape me. "I'm…I'm pretty sore. And dizzy."

Jacob lifts my bangs off of my face and feels my forehead with his palm. It takes everything I have not to melt right then and there. "Yeah, I bet you are. Are you able to stand?"

"I think so." I slowly turn and put my feet on the floor beside the bed, wincing as my muscles tense. Jacob offers me his hand for support and I gladly take it. Once I'm on my feet, I do a few painful stretches and feel okay. Jacob holds on to me regardless, walking me into the kitchen and sitting me at the table. His dad is rolling around, making what smells like waffles and eggs. My stomach growls, though I didn't realize I was hungry. Jacob sits across from me and peers into my eyes. His lips are parted like he wants to say something, and he fumbles with a few false starts until he says:

"I'm really happy that you're okay. I was really worried." He tells me.

My heart flutters like a butterfly on a sugar high. He was worried. About _me. _That's so incredibly sweet. Though I can't help but ask "Why?"

I see him jump back a bit from the table as his eyes widen in surprise, as if I've caught him off guard. "Why?" He repeats my question as he tries to regain his composure. It doesn't work. "Well…because…uh, you see, it's…umm…" He glances over to his dad, who just looks back at him with a wry, amused smile before turning back to the food.

Jake clears his throat. "Dad, is breakfast almost ready?"

His dad gives him an exasperated but playful smirk. "Yeah, it's ready, Jake." Jacob can't seem to get up from the table fast enough. As he gathers plates and cups, and utensils, his dad nudges him and gives him a playful, knowing look. Jake doesn't seem to get whatever joke their exchanging, and hisses "Stop it!"

I've obviously said something wrong. I mentally chastise myself for asking such a rude, harsh question. What kind a person asks why someone else is worried about them? Who _does _that? Stupid, stupid, stupid, _stupid!_

Jacob is tense when he sets our plates of food on the table. I'm about to apologize when Billy rolls up to the table and begins to make small talk with me.

"So you're from Alaska?" He asks politely.

"Yes sir."

A grin forms on his lips. "Is it as cold up there as everyone says?"

I nod. "Yes, sir. Especially in my village, since it's on the very Northern tip of the country. We're lucky if it gets above below eight degrees."

Billy lets out a low whisper. "I can't imagine how people manage up there."

"We get by, sir." My gaze shifts to Jake, who's had his face buried in his plate this whole time. He eats a bit faster than normal. If I didn't know better, I'd say his cheeks were flushed.

I start to eat my food, though I do eat slowly, almost like a normal person. I guess, health-wise, I was becoming somewhat normal again. A silence settles over the small table as everyone finishes their food. Jacob makes as little eye contact with me as possible.

The silence is broken when the phone shrieks from its cradle in the wall. Billy goes to answer it, greeting whoever is on the other end. A surprised expression lights on his face as he turns to me.

"It's for you," He tells me.

Jacob looks up from the table with a look of suspicion in his eyes. I stand, and go to the phone.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Moon." A gruff voice I know all too well greets me. I work to keep the fear and panic out of my voice.

"Good morning, Sam." Jacob rushes to my side and hovers over me protectively.

"I trust you're feeling better. How did you sleep?"

"What does he want?" Jake hisses. But I just glance at him and reply to Sam. "Yes, I feel much better. And I slept well."

"I'm glad to hear that." Sam replies in a too-kind tone. "I'm sure you're wondering why I'm directly addressing you instead of going through Jacob."

"I am." I admit curtly. Behind me, Jake becomes antsy and I can feel his irritation growing.

"Well since you're a soon to be member of the pack, I figured I should start addressing you as such." Sam explains. "Your resilience last night impressed me. I think you have what it takes to be a strong addition to our pack. Though of course, you still have a lot to learn, so you will have to train vigorously. Last night was just the beginning." His morbid promise sends shivers up my spine. "But first, we must perform the Welcoming Ceremony. So be at the clearing by midnight tonight."

"I will be." Jacob seems to explode in rage.

"Give me the phone." He almost growls.

"Oh, and bring Jake." Sam adds before hanging up and I hear the phone click and then the dial tone buzzes in my ear.

"Moon, _please!_" Jacob pleads, but Sam is already gone.

"He hung up."

As if he doesn't believe me, Jacob grabs the phone and listens, getting the dial tone as well. He hangs up the phone and turns to me. "What did he say?" His voice is borderline frantic.

"To be at the clearing tonight at midnight for the Welcoming Ceremony." I repeat. "He wants both of us to come." Jacob nods and looks to Billy.

"Don't worry, Jake. I'm sure everything is fine." Billy assures him. "In the meantime, what are you guys going to do?"

This was an odd question to me. I just thought I'd sit around the house all day and gnaw at my fingernails and let nerves get the best of me. What was there to do on this reservation anyway?

Jake seems to have thought the same thing. "What's there to do?"

Billy rolls around the kitchen. "Well you could take her around the reservation and show her what's what. Or maybe you two could go into town and hang out or something. It's not healthy for adults to have teenagers to stay inside all day." He chuckles as he disappears around the corner and into his room.

Jacob turns to me, scratching the back of his head. "Well, what'll it be?"

I think about this. It would be nice to leave La Push and get away from Sam. And I enjoyed my outing into town with Emily. "Let's go into town."

"Alright. Go ahead and get dressed."


	12. An Outing

**AN: Oh my God, I'm so sorry this chapter is so late everyone! I've been working on some other fanfictions that I may or may not publish. I know, I know, you're all probably like "'May or may not'?! You kept us waiting and you aren't even sure you'll publish what you've been busy with?!" I'm sorry! I'll make it up to you all, I swear! Anyways, here's chapter 12!**

_Chapter 12_

_Moon. _

As Jacob drives us into town, I find myself obsessively adjusting my clothing. I tug the sleeves of my black V-neck sweater down over my fingers, between incessantly adjusting my grey knit hat over my hair and rubbing the toes of my black boots together.

Jake turns the radio on and turns it to what sounds like a classic rock station. He sings along to a song I've never heard before, drumming his hands on the steering wheel to the beat. At one point he tries to do something I assume is beat boxing (which definitely does _not _go with the song), right before he screeches the high pitched guitar solo in his falsetto.

I can't help but crack up, doubling over in laughter as I hold my aching sides. I laugh so hard tears well up in my eyes.

"What? You don't like my singing?" He tries to sound hurt, but I can hear the laughter in his voice. "That guitar solo was spot on!"

"That was terrible!" I gasp and fight not to pee myself. "That was utterly horrific! You sound like a dying cat!"

Now Jacob's laughing too. "Oh, like you could do better?" He challenges.

I turn to him, finally able to breathe, though the huge grin on my face remains. "Maybe." He returns my challenge with a wry grin of his own. Another song comes on and he resumes his "singing", looking at me pointedly. Covering my ears with my hands, I chuckle and study him for a moment, taking in his toothy smile, his huge hands that firmly grip the steering wheel, his playful brown eyes. I can't help but to want to reach over and run my hands up his toned arms. He's crazy cute, not to mention sweet and kind. Jacob is probably the guy of my dreams.

When we finally get into town, Jacob parks in a crowded parking lot inside of an outlet shopping square. He lets me out of the car and leads me to the sidewalk.

"We can just look around unless you see something you like." He tells me. The sidewalk is buzzing with people hurrying in and out of stores, of which are various and vast. There are extravagant purse stores, suit shops, bakeries, restaurants, and a huge bookstore. I beg Jacob to let me go inside and he does, giving me a little chuckle. Once inside, I weave in and out of bookshelves with childlike fascination.

I've always loved reading as a kid; I would read absolutely anything I could get my hands on: the signs outside of the small shops in my village, the aged labels on the glass bottles my mom would keep her home remedies in, the worn and tattered textbooks they would give us in my small schoolhouse. Anything that had words on it, no matter what it was, I would read it. My family had a small bookshelf that held a few books that were from who knows what century, but my mother would never let me touch them. They were family heirlooms, she said, and a child's clumsy fingers would ruin them. But my father could see my hunger for reading, and would read to me while my mother was away. There was one book that my dad would read to me over and over until the words were engrained into my mind, and it is as I'm wandering among the shelves of books that I find it.

I freeze in my tracks as the shiny silver title embroidered on its large, elegantly decorated spine glints at me as it reflects the light. It reads:

_The Complete Collection of American Poetry _

I reach out and carefully, gingerly lift the heavy book off of its shelf and turn it over and over in my hands. The familiar weight and feel of it brings back countless memories of my father and I reciting the poetry from this very book nearly brings tears to my eyes. I can probably recite every single poem in this entire book at whim.

"Moon?" I vaguely hear Jacob say in a worried tone at my side. "What's wrong?"

"This book…" I whisper as if not to awake the words that lie dormant in the pages. "I've always loved this book. I've read it more times than I can count."

Jacob reads the title. "Poetry, huh? How much is it?"

I turn the book over in my hands to see the price sticker on the back cover. My heart sinks. "Seventy-five dollars."

Jake's eyes widen and he lets out a low whistle. "Seriously? It's probably all the expensive binding. Well I don't know, maybe I have a gift card or something." He begins to rummage through his wallet, but I stop him and pull him towards the exit.

"No, it's fine. That's too much to spend on one book." I mumble. As much as I want it, I can't ask Jacob to spend so much money on me after he's already given me so much. I tell myself to let it go.

"Are you sure?" Jacob protests. "'Cause I can—"

"—No." I insist. "It's fine, really. Let's go somewhere else."

Jake eventually concedes and exits the store with me and walks me down the sidewalk in the direction we had originally been going.

**AN: I know this chapter seems like it's just a bunch of filler, but it's not, I swear! I wanted to further develop Moon and Jacob's relationship before getting to the more serious stuff later on, so I wrote this chapter and the next one. But that's not the only purpose these next two chapters serve! They have an important role in later chapters of the story that I'm planning on writing. But anyway, please review! The next chapter won't be so late!**


	13. Lights and an Awning

_Chapter 13_

_Jacob._

After Moon forces me out of the bookstore, we browse around the shopping center some more. I'm actually surprised by the amount of activity going on today; it seems as if everything in the square has a festive air to it. There are street vendors and performers, some in crazy costumes, others playing instruments for cash. Small crowds form around the ones worth watching and I love the look of amazement that's plan on Moon's face as she marvels at the contortionists, singers, dancers, and statue people. She runs to each of them, astounded by their talents, and drops change into their baskets, hats, and guitar cases.

"This is amazing!" She exclaims. "I've never seen anything like this!"

I smile down at her. "Just wait until the sun goes down,"

Moon's dual colored eyes light up with curiosity. "What happens when the sun goes down?"

"You'll see." A secretive smirk pulls at my lips as I lead her to a music store a block down. "Let's look around in here."

The inside of the store is dimly lit with instruments lining the walls. There are a variety of instruments accessories on display in and behind the glass case at the counter towards the front of the store. The cashier greets us as we walk in, asking if we're looking for anything specific. I tell him we're just looking around as Moon seems to glide along the surface of the floor, studying the instruments with the same awe as the street performers outside. There are a few people milling about here and there, but the store is empty for the most part.

Moon turns into a small room filled with different makes and models of guitars. I follow her and I watch as she runs her fingertips over the shiny, smooth surfaces of the faces of the guitars, until she stops abruptly. She stands before a polished mahogany acoustic and plucks it off the wall it's mounted on and sits on a small stool that resides in a corner. She gently strums the strings, bringing a sweet twinkling sound from the guitar.

"That's pretty," I tell her, though I'm not sure if I'm talking about the guitar or her. Moon nods and her expression suggests that she's reminiscing about something behind her blue and green eyes. Her fingers move up and down the fingerboard as she begins to strum a sweet sounding song. I watch in awe as her voice softly joins the melody with a folk sounding undertone to it. Her voice is like the most beautiful thing I've ever heard; it drifts and drops and soars with the notes of the guitar and I feel like I'm floating in a dream. There are no words to her song, just notes and rhythms. I am mesmerized by its sound.

When the song hears its end, Moon gently slows down her strums, as if to help me land safely on the ground. As she looks up at me, I notice her energy as changed. She is calm and at ease, peaceful; she is no longer the tense, almost jumpy girl I used to know. Her soft smile almost blinds me.

It takes me a few seconds to remember how to speak English, but when I do, my voice is little more than a breathy whisper. "You play. And sing. That was great."

"Thank you," Moon's cheeks redden slightly. "My father had a guitar. He taught me how to play when I was younger." She stands and gently returns the guitar to where it originally was on the wall.

"Are there anymore little talents that you're hiding from me?" I half joke with a chuckle as we exit the shop. Moon just smiles sheepishly and the cashier tells us to have a good night. I suddenly remember the time; almost six.

"Hey, are you hungry?" I ask.

She nods and I walk her along the sidewalk, showing her the options. "There are delis and sushi and fast food places and a couple of restaurants up here." But she shakes her head no. "Well what do you feel like eating?"

Suddenly a well-lit shop appears up ahead and Moon sprints to its window, sniffing the air and nearly drooling over what's displayed. It's a bakery, and a fancy one at that. They have little cakes and other pastries set up in the window and the sweet scent of sugar wafts out of the door.

I know what's coming but I'm still thrown off guard when Moon whirls around to me with pleading puppy dog eyes. "Please, please, _please!_"

Well how can I say no to that face? "Sure," She grabs my arm and yanks me through the door and into the shop. The three young women behind the counter greet us politely as Moon looks around, sniffing the air like a greedy puppy.

"Oh, it smells like Heaven!" She exclaims.

The women chuckle. "What would you like, miss?" One of them asks Moon.

"What's the yummiest thing you have on your menu?" Moon inquires as she rushes up to the counter with hungry eyes.

The women think for a second and then one of them goes behind the counter and pulls out a tray of huge, steaming cinnamon buns drowning in white icing and walnut chunks.

"I want _that!_" Moon shouts and points excitedly to the desert in question. I swear she's drooling.

"Jacob, _please! _Pretty, pretty_ please!_" Moon begs and bats her lush eyelashes at me. I try to hold my resolve, but it crumbles uselessly as soon as I look into her eyes. I just can't say no to this girl.

"Of course." I say and she squeals in delight.

"Maybe you'd like to try our white hot chocolate? It goes great with the cinnamon buns." One of the women says and Moon looks up to me once again. I sigh and nod, pulling out my wallet.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, _thank you_!" Moon says as I pay for the outrageously priced pastries.

But I just say "No problem," as we leave and I hand her her goodies. "Let's go sit over there," I point to the center of the square where there are tables and chairs set up. As soon as we sit down, Moon digs in to her cinnamon bun, ignoring the fork and knife included in the bag. I chuckle and take a sip of her white hot chocolate. The stuff is actually _really _good and well worth what I paid for it.

"How is it?" I ask, referring to her sticky cinnamon bun.

"Amazing," Moon groans through a full mouth and hands me a piece between her icing covered fingers. I eat it and agree that it's great, because, well, it _is_. Once she's done I hand her a napkin and she cleans her face, giggling. I smile at her before looking at the sky and see that it's getting dark.

"Remember that surprise I told you about earlier?" I ask and Moon nods eagerly.

"Yeah, where is it?"

"Right here." Just as I say it, the entire square illuminates with thousands of tiny twinkling white lights on strings strung up in trees, signs, and store fronts. In seconds the entire square is transformed into a glimmering wonderland. Moon gasps sharply and stands up, turning herself in a small circle to take in every angle of the sight surrounding us. Her jaw is ajar and her eyes are wide.

"Oh, this is beautiful," She breathes.

I grin and stand with her. The lights are something that the square always does at night during this time of year. Moon leans into me, still gazing around.

"This is beautiful," She repeats. Suddenly I feel a soft warmth wrap around my hand. When I look down, I see Moon's small fingers laced between mine. Her hand is warm and inviting, and I am amazed at how perfectly our hands fit together—like puzzle pieces. And the feeling feels so natural, so _right, _that I wrap my other arm around her and hold her to me as she continues to marvel at the shiny, twinkling scene all around us. We stand like that for a few moments, just holding each other and staring.

I suddenly feel her pull away, taking my hand with her. "Come on, walk with me." She urges as she tugs me towards the sidewalk in front of the store fronts. I let her, allowing her to lead me down the sidewalk with our fingers intertwined. I don't care where we go as long as her hand doesn't leave mine.

We walk like this in silence for a while, enjoying each other's company. Moon takes full advantage of me being so close to her and leans in close to rest her head on my shoulder. I lean right back and enjoy her closeness as well.

"You're so lucky," Moon finally speaks.

"How?" I smile down at her.

"You have all of this," She motions to everything around us, as if her hand can encompass every sight, sound, taste, and person in this town. "We don't have anything like this back home. Everything is quiet and cold, isolated, and small. But here, you can meet new people, see new things, feel like you're a part of something."

I chuckle. "Real American Dream, huh?" Forks is actually a pretty small town. You should see New York City, New Orleans, or L.A."

That sense of wonder and awe is back in Moon's voice. "I bet those cities are beautiful."

"Maybe I'll take you to see them one day." I find myself grinning at her beautiful, wonderstruck face. I'm not sure how I'd ever be able to pull something like that off and I feel guilt drip into my consciousness and settle in my gut like poison as I realize I've made a promise I may not be able to keep and that may disappoint Moon. I couldn't bear to have her disappointed in me when all I want is to see her smile.

Without warning the sky opens up and starts to pour heavy droplets of rain down on us. It's slow at first, but it quickly begins to pick up. Moon flinches at the sudden feeling of cold rain water pounding down on her, but when she looks up into the sky, she's smiling. I hear her squeal in delight and she grabs my hand tighter, running and pulling me along the sidewalk to find shelter. We're both laughing and dodging people who are also trying to find cover from the downpour.

We rush under a small awning in front of a closed store. I hold Moon close to me, still laughing, so we can both fit under the tiny space. She leans into me and wraps her arms around me with a huge grin on her face.

"That's Forks for you," I tell her with a grin of my own. "You never know when it'll rain." Moon giggles and our eyes meet and lock. I feel something pass between us. It's like this glowing ball of light brighter than any of the lights that surround us, brighter than the sun itself. The feeling settles in my heart, where it expands and threatens to swallow me up whole. Everything else vanishes except me and this beautiful, sweet, kind young girl in my arms, gracing me with her gorgeous smile. And as I look down into her lovely blue and green eyes, I can tell she feels it too. Before I realize what's happening, my head dips down to meet her as she tilts her own head up towards mine. I feel the warmth of her skin get closer and closer to mine until our lips are mere centimeters apart and I can already taste her on my mouth.

Just then the door to the shop we're standing in front of swings open, surprising us and we abruptly pull away from each other. A large, buff, good-looking man in his mid-thirties with short cropped black hair steps out. He's wearing a brown leather jacket over a tight fitting black shirt and he's whistling a tune, but stops when he sees us.

"Oh—pardon me," The man genuinely apologizes and I realize what we must look like right now—two teens about to make out in front of his shop. I suddenly feel very embarrassed.

"Oh, no, excuse _us, _sir," I pull Moon and I out of the man's way. "We thought the store was closed…"

The man offers us and understanding smile. "It's no problem. It's raining cats and dogs out here. I was just closing up for the night." The man turns to lock the door behind him and I notice the slight Southern twang to his voice, the kind of twang you'd hear from the mouth of a wealthy Louisianan aristocrat from the 1800's, only it's not as thick; just barely detectable.

"Yeah, we're sorry for bothering you, sir." I tell him and Moon nods in agreement and I see the man's almost inhumanly light brown eyes graze over her. For half of a second, his polite smile turns to one of suggestive intrigue. It's only for half a second, but it's enough for my wolf to take notice and rise to the surface and growl _"Mine" _inside the walls of my mind. I work to keep it from showing on my face as the man says "Don't worry about it." And he nods his head as if to tip and invisible hat as he slips between us. His scent tickles my nose—leather musk and something else I can't quiet identify. It's an earthy scent with an undertone of something coppery, something familiarly metallic. But before I can completely identify the smell, the man has already stepped into the rain which washes away his odd scent. "You two have a good night and stay dry." I can't help but watch as he walks to his car with long, even, graceful strides. I force myself to look away when he disappears behind the steering wheel in the darkness.

I turn back to Moon, curious to see if the warmth of that moment a few minutes ago is still there and I'm sadden to see it's been replaced by embarrassment and unease. I offer her a reassuring smile and she returns it with a wavering crooked upturning of her lips that had been so close to mine not long ago.

"Come on, let's get back to the truck." I suggest and lead her to the parking lot with her hand in mine.

The man from the shop sits in his car, concealed behind the cover of darkness as he watches the young girl with the blue and green eyes and the Indian boy hurry off in the opposite direction towards the parking lot on the other side of the square, hand in hand.

How sweet, he thinks as his strangely light brown eyes glint a crimson red that reflects in the windshield. She's found a little boyfriend. He just hopes she hasn't gotten too attached to him.

For she will soon be his.


	14. The Ceremony

_Chapter 14_

_Moon._

I have so much fun with Jacob downtown that I forget the reason why we went there in the first place: To keep our minds off of the Welcoming Ceremony Sam called for tonight at midnight. The only thing keeping me from turning into a ball of nervousness is thinking about what happened—well _almost _happened—between Jacob and I.

We almost kissed! And it wasn't like _I _tried to kiss _him, _we _both_ tried to kiss each other! Even though it didn't really happen, it almost did and there's no denying that. He felt exactly what I felt—this amazing electric connection that drew us together like two magnets. The way he looked at me with those bright brown eyes of his with his arms wrapped around me like they were the only thing holding me down and keeping me from soaring up into the stratosphere on a cloud of pure jubilation. Just thinking about it makes me soar—and I do. All the way home, Jacob and I laugh and giggle at the smallest things each of us says. The only thing tainting my joy is the image of that man who walked out of the shop just before Jacob's lips met mine.

He was cleaning looking with a slight Southern lilt sprinkling over his words. His eyes were intelligent and almost sly looking as his gaze slipped over me. And his eyes were such a chocolaty brown and now that I think about it…almost _red _in color. And the feeling I got from him was strange to say the least…

But I force myself to shake it off and just enjoy my ride home with Jacob.

It's 11:40 by the time we drop Jake's truck off at his house before starting the trek towards the same clearing I was tortured in the day before. My night vision has actually gotten a lot better in the time I've been here in La Push, so Jacob only has to help me over a few fallen trees and brush. By the time we enter the clearing, the moon is at its highest point in the sky. Once again, everyone's already there. Sam looks up at us when we arrive.

"Evening. Glad you could make it." He says to Jacob and I. We nod in greeting and I stick close by Jake, still wary of Sam. "Come on, we have to get started. Moon, stand in the center of the circle."

I look back to the others and see that they've arranged themselves in a circle at the center of the meadow where the moon seems to shine the brightest. I slowly make my way into the center of the gathering and peer at the others. They're all wearing sleeveless shirts to show off what look like matching tattoos on their left shoulders. The tattoos are black and circular and are filled with twisting and turning lines. They all seem to glow in the moonlight. Jacob gives me a smile as if to tell me everything will be okay. I hope he's right this time.

Sam comes to stand beside me and begins to speak loud enough for everyone to hear.

"We are gathered here tonight, under the eyes of the full moon, to welcome a new wolf into our Brotherhood." I can't help but think that last part is a bit sexist, since there _are _girls here. "She has proven herself to be worthy of our acceptance and we now welcome her whole-heartedly." As he speaks, I feel the ground start to hum and buzz with some kind of energy and the moon overhead seems to swell and pulse when I look up at it.

"We now call upon the power of the moon to seal our covenant with this female and forever bind us together." As he says this, he places a broad hand on the center of my chest. The others follow suit, surrounding me and placing their hands on my shoulders, back, and chest. Their palms are warm and, like the ground, pulse with a power I can't quite place. Their eyes simultaneously descend closed as Sam leads them in a chant in a language I've never even heard of. It's something old, something ancient and forgotten, yet so powerful that I begin to shake with fear.

As their voices lift higher and higher, I feel the power-their power-surge through my veins in waves. Voices fill my head, and I realize that those voices are _their thoughts, _Jacob's being the loudest. But they're all so jumbled that I can't really understand any of them. I find myself almost falling backwards against the sudden barrage of thoughts that slam into my mind, but Jacob and the others—my pack mates—hold me up and keep me from falling. I look up at them and discover that I can see their wolf forms right under their human skins like they're behind some kind of sheer curtain.

A sudden burning sensation in my left shoulder makes me wince, but before I can investigate it, this sudden woosh of power slams into me, almost throwing me backwards. My head tilts upwards to see the moon shaking and trembling like it's about to shatter into a million pieces and fall to the Earth in fiery chunks. I gasp and shriek as the Earth itself begins to rumble and jolt until it seems to drop away completely, disappearing beneath my feet. I tumble to my knees with my eyes shut tight against the waves of nausea as the ground bucks and rolls underneath me like an angry bull.

Just like that, it's over as quickly and as suddenly as it started and all is still. When I finally open my eyes, Jacob's face is the first one I see. He's kneeling in front of me with an excited smile on his lips.

"Hey," He says in an incredulously casual tone as he helps me to my feet. "Pretty wild, huh? How do you feel?"

I blink a few times to clear my swimming head. "I can't hear your thoughts anymore." I look around at the others, who are all offering me kind smiles (except Leah, of course, but she never smiles).

"Yeah, you won't be able to actually hear our thoughts unless we've Shifted." Jacob explains to me. "Though, in human form, you'll always have a general sense of where we all are and what we're doing or feeling and you'll know immediately when one of us has Shifted. That's how it is for all of us." Jake gives me a toothy grin. "Welcome to the pack,"

I can't help but smile right back. I'm in. I'm one of them.

Just then Jacob motions to my left shoulder. "The Mark looks good on you." I look to see what he's talking about and discover there's now a black circular tattoo that matches the others on my left shoulder. It's stinging a bit, but I can't help but widen my eyes and breath "Cool,"

The others chuckle and Sam approaches me. "Welcome, Moon. I look forward to having you in my pack." I shake his outstretched hand. As I look around at all of them, I feel…different. Like for the first time in my life, I actually belong. I sense a greater feeling of connection between all of us, even Sam. Jake pulls me into a massive and unexpected bear hug and lifts me off the ground, spinning me in circles. I giggle and squeal and the others laugh.

"I'm so glad you're one of us now," Jacob tells me when he finally puts me down, though the child-like excitement is still in his eyes. "This is gonna be so awesome."

"What will?"

"The run."

As he says this, I hear a loud rip and turn to see Sam, now a huge black wolf, throw his head back to the moon and let out a boisterous howl. The others promptly follow suit, trading their human skins for the fur of wolves. I Shift right after Jacob, and unlike last night, the pain subsides so quickly, I barely notice it at all. Sam and the others bolt forward into the thick forest and I follow them as their thoughts flood my mind. Jacob yips excitedly and playfully nips at my heels, encouraging me to go faster. And I do. I run faster than I ever have before until everything around me and my pack mates blurs into nothing.

For the first time in a very long time, I am happy.

**A/N: Hey guys I hope you liked this chapter and the last one :) Please review!**


	15. Determination

**A/N: Hey guys I'm so sorry for being so late :( school and stuff, you know? Well I stayed up late on a school night just to write this for you guys so I hope you like it!**

_Chapter 15_

_Moon._

I wake up the next morning in my bed back at Jake's house. My PJ's are on, but I smell like dirt and sweat. When I look in the vanity mirror in front of my bed, I see that my hair quite literally looks like a bird's nest; there are twigs and leaves and all sorts of other stuff stuck in it at various angles and the hair itself is clumped and matted and frizzed. I can't help but smile when I spot the Mark on my left shoulder and remember last night. I'm in a pack. I'm part of Jacob's pack.

I suddenly remember what Jacob said about being able to sense where ever he was doing or feeling and I close my eyes and concentrate on him. Instantly I get a fuzzy vision of him sleeping in his bed across the hall, snoring softly.

A mischievous grin curls my lips as I pad across the hall to his bedroom and gently open the door. He doesn't hear me and continues to snore so I silently make my way to the side of his bed. Like me, he's filthy and covered in leaves and dirt. I stifle a chuckle and throw myself on top of him, slamming my body weight into his stomach. Jacob's eyes burst open and he lets out a loud _oomf _and I nearly double over in laughter.

"Well good morning to you too," He chuckles when he recovers and realizes it's me, picking a leaf out of my hair. "How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good since I don't remember coming home." I wipe some dirt off of his cheek and screw up my nose. "You stink."

"So do you," Jacob grins before leaping up and bolting out of his room, knocking me off the bed and to the floor with a loud thump. "I call first dibs on the shower!"

I scramble to my feet and go after him. "What?! No, you can't do that!" I tear down the hall and pounce on him and latch myself onto his back. He spins us in circles, laughing noisily, and tries to yank me over his back. I'm halfway over his shoulder, almost completely upside down, when Billy rolls out of his room.

"What in the world are you two doing this early in the morning?-" He stops when he takes in the scene before him: me hanging over Jacob's shoulder, Jacob ready to flip me over onto the floor like a WWE wrestler, both of us covered in dirt and grime. We must look like wild children, or (heh heh) wild animals.

Billy screws up his face in irritation and utter disgust. "Dear Lord, you two smell like road kill! How long were you out running last night?" At our blank expressions, he holds up his hand. "You know what, I really don't care, just take showers _now, _before the whole house starts smelling like death. And if you're gonna play like that, go outside. This house is too old for you two to be horsing around like that." He rolls back into his room, mumbling something about stupid teenaged werewolves.

Jacob and I look at one another and burst into laughter, and he releases me, returning me to my original upright position in one smooth motion.

"Ladies first," Jake ushers me to the only shower in the house. "After this, we'll go outside for a run. How's that sound?"

"Great," I tell him. In the shower, I scrub myself until I sparkle and wash my hair until it shines. Jacob showers after me and I wait for him on the living room couch while channel surfing (I finally figured out how to use the remote). When he comes out and gets dressed, we leave for the forest. A playful grin affixes itself to his face the whole time.

"You seem happy," I observe.

"'Cause I am."

"Why?"

Jake looks at me, his grin turning into a meaningful smile. "Because you're part of the pack now. That means I can spend more time with you without the others getting irritated with me. And I feel a lot closer to you."

I feel my face grow warm and I try not to look into those brown eyes of his, but it's impossible. I find myself staring, getting lost in them for an indiscernible amount of time. Jacob meets my gaze and makes no attempt to break it. All those feelings from the night before my induction come flooding back to me and hits me like a tsunami. I am in love with Jacob. I am head over heels, topsy turvy, inexplicably in love with Jacob Black.

I feel Jake take my hand into his as he holds me with his gaze and that charming smile of his before breaking eye contact, leaving me breathless and needy and aching for more of his attention. "Come on, this place looks safe from hunters." He leads me by hand through a few more feet of underbrush until we reach a space that's more open. He lets go of my hand and Shifts before I can blink. I follow suit and he tackles me playfully before running off, egging me to chase him. I didn't realize just how excited I was to do this again until I chase after him at full speed. We chase each other and play like that for hours upon hours, our thoughts weaving in and out of each other's minds, until we both collapse into a grassy area, exhausted, and revert back to our human forms. We lie on our backs and stare up into the mid-afternoon sky, breathing heavily and giggling every now and then.

During a moment of silence, I feel something tug at my core, my subconscious. The insistent feeling is vaguely familiar, yet I have no clue what it is. I look to Jacob, knowing he felt it too.

"What was that?"

Jacob groans and rolls his eyes. "That's Sam. He's trying to communicate with us."

"What's he saying?"

"That as long as we're out here, we might as well start your training."

My turn to groan. "More training?" I shiver as I remember the last time I trained. I thought I had already proven myself worthy of being in the pack.

Jacob helps me to my feet. "Yeah, it's a drag. But I'll try to make it fun." He backs up then so he's standing a few feet in front of me. This is too much like that time Sam tried to "train" me. I instinctively wrap my arms around myself in fear. Jacob senses my discomfort immediately.

"Hey don't worry. I'm not gonna hurt you." He says. "Trust me?"

"Yes." I tell him without hesitation. I trust Jacob with my heart and soul. "But why do I have to train?"

"No weak links remember? If one of us is weak, then we all are." Jake explains. "I won't hurt you, I swear. Now come at me."

I blink in confusion. "W-what?"

"Come at me. Throw a punch, a kick, anything. Don't be scared."

He wants me to hit him? How could I possibly bring myself to hit the man I love? I hesitate, slightly rocking from foot to foot.

"Maybe it'd be easier if _I _went after _you._ Dodge me." Before I can blink, he's running for me. Jacob swings a right hook towards my jaw, but I instinctively move my head to the left before grapping his arms and using his momentum to flip him to the ground on his back. He makes a loud "Oof!" just like this morning as the wind is knocked out of his lungs. I stand back and marvel at my own strength. Well, _that's _new.

"Alright," Jacob grunts. "Beginner's luck." He bolts upright and swings his leg around by my feet, trying to knock me over. I see it coming and jump over his leg and swing a roundhouse kick to the side of his head, which throws him to his back once more. I smile at the satisfying _whack _sound my foot made when it met his face.

With another grunt, Jacob jumps to his feet and charges at me with the intent of landing a punch in my gut to knock the wind out of me. But once again I see it coming and back flip out of his range (though I never knew I _could _do a backflip). Jacob runs at me again and I whirl around and kick him in the chest, sending him sliding backwards in a crouching position.

Jacob clutches his chest as he stands up straighter. "Geez, you're better than I thought." He tells me with a grin. "I guess that means I should stop going easy on you."

"Going easy on me?" In a split second Jacob's foot hammers into my chest and I fly backwards into a tree, leaving and impressive dent in the bark. My body slides down to the ground with a gasp and a cough as I try to suck air back into my lungs.

"Come on, Moon, get up!" Jacob calls. "If this were a real fight, I could've killed you by now. Rule number one: Stay on your feet."

After a moment, I do what he says and make my way to my feet. It's not long before he's coming for me again and I see it and try to dodge, but I'm too slow and he hits me full force, sending a flurry of punches and kicks to my body at point blank range. It's all I can do to stay on my feet and block as many as I can (which are hardly any). During a short millisecond pause in his attacks, I'm able to leap back out of his range. I practically fall to my knees out of pain and exhaustion. Maybe I'm not as strong as I thought.

"Head's up!" Shouts Jacob. I look up to see him sending a flying kick into my face, but I throw my arm up to catch it, and send my fist sailing towards his face. Just as it's about to connect, Jacob brings up his hand and catches my punch with his open palm and twists it around my back, forcing me to my knees. I cry out in pain when he shoves his knee between my shoulder blades and yanks my arms back in a gesture that says he could easily pull my arms out of their sockets.

All of my instincts and self-preservation alarms go haywire and I yank and pull to no avail.

"You can't get out of this hold, Moon," Says Jacob with a playful edge to his voice. "Well, unless you dislocate your shoulders."

The playfulness in his voice frustrates me to no end and I pull harder and harder, anger fueling my every move. I feel my shoulders strain against their sockets.

"Moon?" Jacob's voice wavers with worry as I keep pulling and pulling with gritted teeth. We both hear a series of tiny cracks and creaks emanating from my shoulders. "Moon, stop!" Jake abruptly lets go of me and I jolt forward, leap to my feet, and run at him, letting out an almost savage cry. I jump into the air and kick his chest with a flurry of blows that he blocks with his forearms. Before I see what's happening, he's grabbed my leg and flung me down to the ground and the air escapes my lungs with a loud _whoosh. _I lay there, unmoving and gasping.

"I think that's enough for today," Jacob leans down and offers me his hand. "You're actually a lot better than I thought."

I ignore his hand and stagger to my feet. "No, I can keep going."

"I don't think that's a good idea—" I interrupt his words with a high kick aimed at the side of his face. He ducks and kicks my feet out from under me and I end up flat on my back once again.

"Come on, Moon, take it easy." Jacob says. "We can train more tomorrow."

I shake my head and lift myself to my feet. "No! I want to keep going!"

Jake blinks in surprise and confusion. "After the beating you just got? Why?"

"Because I want to get stronger. I don't want to hold any of you back." I explain. "I want my pack mates to accept me because I'm useful, not because they feel they have to. I refuse to be dead weight!"

Jacob gives me an understanding look and speaks softly. "Moon, you don't have to prove anything to be accepted here."

"Don't patronize me!" I shout in frustration. "I know that one of the main; if not only reason you all let me join your pack was because I present no threat to you. You let me in because I'm weak."

Jacob winces like I've just hit him. "Moon, don't—"

"—I'm not an idiot, Jacob! I know that while my weakness may have been enough to have gotten me here, it won't be enough to keep me here. You know as well as I do that if I don't show some kind of strength, Sam will either kill me or kick me out."

Again, Jacob winces.

"Am I wrong?" I challenge. "Am I?" Jacob moves his lips as if to say something, but then just turns away from me and runs his hands through his hair with a heavy sigh.

"Fine." He says when he finally turns back to me. And then with more finality: "Fine. We'll keep training. But you stop when I tell you to. I won't have you passing out on me."

I nod. "Agreed."

Jacob studies me for a second before speaking again. "Now, from what I've seen, your main issues are that you're too slow and too predictable. You're no good at reading your opponent's moves."

"So teach me."

"I will, I will. Just hold on." He chuckles at my eagerness. "But a lot of this stuff can't be taught. A lot of it is just instinct."

"Instinct?" I say in a perplexed tone.

"Yeah. My instincts tell me what move you'll make and when. I think you're just overthinking it. Trust your instincts."

"I'm not sure how…" I admit. "I'm not even sure I have instincts."

"Sure you do," He says matter-of-factly. Without warning, he throws a stick right at my face. I automatically duck and avoid it.

"What the hell?!" I screech in anger. "You almost hit me!"

Jake chuckles. "Ah, but I didn't, did I? You dodged it. Those are your instincts. Listen to them and don't over think your movements."

I nod, determined. "Alright, I'll try."

"Good. Now," Jacob's fist comes flying towards my face but I dodge it, listening to my instincts just like he told me. When I evade his next few attacks, he praises me.

"Good, good. But you have to attack too."

I throw my fists and swing my legs, but he either smacks them away or just dodges them.

"Careful. You have to listen to your instincts, but you can't lose control of your movements." He advices. "Control is important."

With a nod I try again and this time I land a few blows.

"Nice!" Jake shouts in excitement at my improvement. "You're a fast learner."

"Thanks," I say. "Keep going."

Jacob agrees and runs at me again.

**A/N: Hey guys I hope you liked it. Again, sorry for being so late :( But i hoped you liked it! Please review!**


	16. Just Look

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm actually on time for once! This chapter literally took me a whole week to write and edit. Up until now, what I've been typing and publishing have been chapters that I had already written before even making a fanfiction account. When I got to this chapter, I flipped through my notes and saw that I didn't like where the story was going at all and how I was going about writing it. Sooooo I decided to trash the rest of the pre-written chapters after chapter 15 and take it in a whole new, hopefully exciting direction that I hope you all will love. **

**Anyway, let's get to the story! Enjoy!**

_Chapter 16_

_Jacob. _

I have to admit, I'm pretty surprised by Moon's determination to become stronger. Though I do wish that what she said about Sam killing her wasn't true. But it is. It sucks but it is. And I can't help but feel that that's my own selfish fault, since I'm allowing Sam to be my stand-in as Alpha…

But Moon's a quick learner and determined as hell, so I have no doubt that she'll be as strong as me in no time.

We head back home in the late afternoon after spending most of the day training. Moon is exhausted, I can tell. Her feet drag like bricks as we walk through the woods and she accepts my offer to carry her without much protest. I hoist her up on my back and continue our walk home. She's so still and quiet that I think she's fallen asleep until she stirs when we're halfway down the mountain.

"Jacob," Her whisper tickles the back of my neck, sending tremors of excitement up and down my spine. "Stop for a second."

I do as she says and look back at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. But the sun…"

I turn to peer through the opening of the trees. The sun is burning a deep shade of vermillion as it sets. Red, pink, and even purple shafts of light brilliantly streak across the sky like Van Gogh himself has painted it just for us.

"Yeah, the sun's setting," My voice is just as quiet as hers now. "Pretty, huh?"

"_Beautiful._" Moon breathes as she stares at the setting sun.

_Just like you. _I want to say it. It's cheesy, I know, but it's so true. I watch as the dimming rays of sunlight catch in Moon's blue and green eyes, turning the reds and pinks and golds into shimmering flecks in her irises. Her lips are parted slightly in astonishment and I can't help but wonder what it would be like to press my lips against hers. Now would be the perfect moment, with the sunset and everything. It would be cheesy Hollywood Movie perfect, but wonderful all the same. Yet, I of course don't act on my impulse. And I know I'll hate myself for it later.

We watch as the part of the sky farthest away from the orange ball of fire turns dark blue and stars peek out from their celestial hiding places as the night come closer and closer until the sun is swallowed up by the darkness.

Moon blinks a few times as if coming out of a spell.

"You okay?" I ask softly, as not to startle her.

"Yes, I'm great." She tells me with a somewhat nostalgic smile on her perfect lips. "We can go now."

When we finally arrive at the house, my dad is in the living room watching TV as he sips a can of beer. He greets us warmly.

"Evening, kids. Have fun?"

"Yeah, right before Moon tried to kill me," I joke. Moon of course blushes and apologizes and we sit down on the couch by my dad. He's watching _Jeopardy._ I've never really liked the show, but it's my dad's favorite. Moon sits with her hands politely folded in her lap like she's been taking etiquette classes all her life. She watches with amiable interest as my dad shouts out answers to the TV. When the show ends, he wishes us good night, telling me that he already made dinner and that it's in the fridge, and rolls into his room. I guess retirees don't have much else to do but sleep and watch TV. I flip through channels and eventually settle on some 80's movie. We sit in silence for a bit, until a sudden and random question bubbles out of my mouth.

"Moon?"

"Yes?"

"If you don't mind me asking…while we were in town the other day, you said your dad taught you to play the guitar. But when you first met us, you only ever mentioned your mom…" The tension is clear and painfully obvious in my voice.

"Yes…" Moon's tense voice mirrors my own.

"So…what happened to your dad?"

Moon nervously shifts in her seat. For a moment I think she's not going to answer and that I've seriously offended her until she finally says "He…died of typhoid fever when I was eleven."

I feel like the biggest jerk in the world. "Oh…Moon, I'm sorry…If I would've known, I wouldn't have asked..." We sit in awkward silence for a few beats as Moon studies her hands. "That must've been pretty hard for you."

"It was." She agrees. "He was my best friend, the only one who truly understood me, the only one who didn't fear me because of my appearance. He told me I was special and that there was no one else like me in the whole world and that not everyone would understand that, not even my mother."

"How'd your mom take it?" I ask gently.

Moon sighs heavily. "Not well. She went into a terrible depression. She didn't want to do anything, not even work the fields, which, as I said before, was what fed my small village. I would try to pull her out of bed, but on really bad days nothing I could do or say would get her up. So I was left doing most of the field and house work myself."

_Oh, Moon. _The poor girl. My heart aches for her. Through our pack bond, I can feel every emotion that streams out of her: loneliness, despair, fear, isolation, abandonment. It's all such a great burden, a burden that no little girl should ever have to face all by herself. I wrap my arms around her tiny frame and pull her close and I feel her tremble against me as her sorrow overwhelms her and causes her to sob uncontrollably into my chest. I let her sob, and even shed a few tears myself. I feel her pain, _literally. _After feeling it first hand, I can't even begin to comprehend how she's managed to keep this all locked away without it eating her alive.

"You're so strong," I whisper into her hair by way of consoling her. "You're stronger than anyone gives you credit for." And I mean it, I really do. Moon is probably the strongest person I've ever met; I could never carry a burden like that all by myself for days, let alone years. So it surprises me when she pulls away from me, shaking her head.

"No, I'm not strong at all." Moon says is a defeated kind of way. "Not at all."

What? "Moon, what do you mean?"

"I mean I'm not strong at all!" Her voice is harsh, but then softens. "A strong person wouldn't think about everything that's gone wrong in their life every single day. They don't question whether or not their life is even worth living anymore. They don't let their pain and fear rule over every little thing they do." Moon shakes her head gravelly. "No. I am not strong."

For a moment I just sit there with a blank look on my face. She must be kidding. Surely, she must be kidding. A half incredulous chuckle escapes my lips and I hold her hand in mine. "Yes you are! You're so amazingly strong and resilient, and—"

"—Stop it!" Moon shrieks and rips her hands out of mine and all but rockets herself to the other end of the couch to get as far away from me as possible. "Just stop it!"

I can only imagine how dumbfounded I must look right now. "Stop what?"

Moon's voice is shrill and her eyes are wild and frenzied like a feral animal that's been back up into a cage. "Stop lying to me! Stop telling me that I'm strong when I know that I'm anything but! Just—just stop _everything!_"

A long moment of silence. The only sound is Moon's ragged, panicked breathing. When I attempt to go to her, the muscles in her legs twitch until they're bunched up at her chest with her arms pulled in tight to herself in a defensive position. Again, she's got that terrified look in her painfully beautiful eyes. She looks just like the girl she was when she first showed up here: hurt, alone, and scared.

"What do you mean…_'everything'_?"

A choked sob racks Moon's body, sending her into convulsing shivers. Her voice is tense and strained, like at any moment it will shatter into a million tiny pieces. "I mean everything. I don't want your help anymore."

I have to hold back the ridiculous urge to laugh at what she's just said. "You don't want my help? So, what, you're just gonna leave?"

Moon won't even look at me. "I don't know…"

"_Exactly._" I say and once again take her hands in mine, ignoring the way she tries to get away from me. "Moon, you're still new at this werewolf stuff. You can't make it out there on your own, not yet anyway. Stay here for a few more months and then if you still want to leave, I won't stop you."

"…Jacob, I…"

"Moon, _please. _I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you. Just stay here for a bit longer and…"

"—You know what?" Moon practically shouts as she jumps up from the couch and out of my grip. Her eyes are enflamed with rage and it's all directed at me. "Why do you care so much, huh? Why are you so willing to go out of your way to help someone you barely know?"

"Moon, I _do _know you."

"No you don't! You barely know me at all!"

I'm suddenly so, _so _angry that I leap from my seat and start yelling too. "Then _let _me get to know you! How am I supposed to know you if you never give me a chance, Moon?" I wait for a reply that never comes. "I get it, you've been hurt and you feel like you can't trust anyone. But, Moon, you have to let people in. You can't just try to take the world on your shoulders all by yourself. You don't have to be strong alone."

Moon's angry eyes flit up to me and fix themselves on my face in almost a defiant way. There are tears there. "How am I supposed to trust anyone when everyone I have ever known has either betrayed me or abandoned me? How am I supposed to let people in when every time I've ever done that in the past, I've paid for it, huh? Why should I even try? Please tell me, Jacob, because I don't know!"

"You should try because there are people out there that care about you! There are people out there who would do anything for you!"

"What, like _you_?!"

"_Yes!_"

For a moment we just stand there, breathing heavily with anger, confusion and adrenaline. Moon's face is full of conflicting feelings. It's me who speaks first, this time in a quieter, calmer tone.

"Moon, I love you so much it hurts. I've loved you since I first met you. And I would do anything, _anything _to make you happy. It would devastate me if you ever left me just because you couldn't find it in your heart to let me in."

Again, silence. Moon can't seem to bring herself to look at me. When she does finally speak, it's a barely audible whisper. But I hear it. I hear it so clearly that the mere sound of it threatens to shatter my eardrums.

"Liar."

"_What?_" I breathe.

"You're lying. You don't love me." So convinced, so concrete, so final.

Her words ring in my ears like sirens. I can't believe what she just said. I finally confess my love for her after all this time, and she says I'm _lying_. This is _not _how this is supposed to go. "Did you really just tell me that my love for you is a lie?"

One single nod. "Yes."

The anger in my voice is palpable. "I tell you that I love you and all you have to say is 'you're lying'? Not even an 'I love you too'?" I put my hand up to interrupt the thought I'm sure is going through her head. "And don't tell me you don't love me, because I know you do."

Moon shakes her head so hard that I'm afraid her head will fly off her neck at any moment. "I don't love you."

"Oh, now who's lying?" I scoff.

"I'm not lying!" Moon shouts and does her best to get in my face (which isn't easy since I'm so much taller than she is). "_I don't love you._ And you don't love me."

Again, anger slices through my veins like ice shards. "How do you know that I don't love you, Moon? How can you be so sure?"

"Because I just _know_! I know you don't love me, you can't!"

The rage all but boils over then and I'm shaking and I've somehow got my hands wrapped around her arms. My breathing is short and ragged and all I want to do is just scream at her for doing this to me at a moment like this. Moon keeps going on and on about how I don't love her, but I don't hear her. All that I hear is this ringing in my ears and the boiling blood running through my veins. I can't take it anymore, I just can't take it anymore.

"JESUS, MOON, WOULD YOU JUST SHUT UP AND _LOOK?!_" It's then that I ball up every single thought and feeling I've ever had for this girl, this broken, worn down girl, and all but throw it at her through our pack bond. I send it hurling into her mind, blowing her mental block to smithereens, forcing her to see, to hear, to _feel _all the love I've had for her since I first saw her in the woods that night. Her green and blue eyes fly open so wide that I swear I can see the scenes playing out in her pupils. She gasps and her body folds from the sheer physical shock of my thoughts and she crumbles to the floor. I catch her and hold her in my arms as she convulses and spasms against the rush of mental energy I've just shoved in her head. When it's all finally over, her eyes are streaming tears and she's shaking. Oh, she's shaking like a withered leaf in a storm and she's holding on to me for dear life. Her lips move to make words that won't come and I swear I can hear her heart slamming against her ribs.

"Do you see now?" I whisper and wipe away the hair that's sticking to her damped cheeks. "I love you. I really love you."

Moon's body continues to shake and the tears quicken their streak down her face. "J-Jacob…I-I…"

"What is it, honey?"

"I…I didn't know…" Moon shakes her head and sobs. She's speaking urgently like her life depends on the words she's about to say. "I didn't know you felt that way about me. I always wished you did but I never imagined that you actually…you actually…"

"Loved you?" I finish her sentence with a kind smile and wipe the tears from her face. "Of course I do. I don't think I'll ever stop loving you. Even if you don't love me back, I'll never stop loving you."

"I do!" Moon tells me and wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me into a vice-like embrace. "Jacob, I do. I love you more than anything else in this world. I'm just…I'm just so scared…"

I nod. "I know, Moon. Love can be scary. But I promise I'll never do anything to hurt you. Not ever. I'll protect you with my life and I'll cherish every moment we have together." As I say this, I realize that this is the truest thing I've ever said to anyone.

"Y-you promise?" Moon inquires. She looks like a frightened child; nothing like the powerful werewolf I know she can become.

"I promise."

It's then that our lips finally collide like they were always meant to. We open our minds to each other and allow our thoughts to wash over one another and it feels like rain in a parched desert. I do not know how long our kiss lasts, but when we emerge from it, we are both completely different. We are reborn. Moon shines like the brightest star in the sky and I feel an overwhelming sense of completeness. I was meant to hold this girl in my arms, I was meant to lay sweet kisses on her cheek, and I was meant to love her, and only her, for the rest of my life.

"Jacob?" Moon's voice sounds like delicate wind chimes. "What does this make us?"

A smile curves my lips as I stroke her cheek with my thumb. "What do you mean?" I know exactly what she means; I just want her to say it.

She blushes in the cutest way as she finds her voice. "I mean, are we—you and I—are we…?"

"Boyfriend and girlfriend?" I finish. "Moon, what we are goes much, much deeper than that,"

"I know, but…"

"Do you _want _us to be a couple?" My smile widens.

"Yes."

For a moment I just look into Moon's eyes and bask in their beauty as I hold her hand in mine. All I can think about is how amazing she is and how lucky I am to have her.

"Then I guess that's what we are."

**A/N: About time, right? :) If you think this is the end of the story, you are horribly mistaken, dear reader, for this is just the beginning *mysterious smile* hahaha things will get pretty interesting from here, so please keep reading! Review please (it makes me happy)! :)**


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